Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - Marcella Hazan [153]
4. Divide the stuffing into 6 equal parts and spoon it into the squid sacs. Stuff the sacs only two-thirds full, because as they cook they shrink and if they are packed tightly they may burst. Sew up the opening with a darning needle and cotton thread, making absolutely certain that when you are finished with the needle you take it out of the kitchen lest it disappear into the sauce. Sewing them up is the best way to close squid sacs, but if you are not comfortable with it, you can stitch the edges of the opening together with a strong, round, sharply pointed toothpick.
5. Choose a sauté pan that can later contain all the sacs in a single layer. Pour in enough olive oil to come ¼ inch up the sides, turn on the heat to medium high, and put in the whole peeled garlic cloves. Cook, stirring, until the garlic becomes colored a golden nut brown, remove it from the pan, and put in all the stuffed squid. Brown the squid sacs all over, then add the chopped tomatoes with their juice, the chopped garlic, and the wine. Cover the pan and adjust the heat to cook at a slow simmer. Cook for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the squid feels tender when prodded with a fork.
6. When done, transfer the squid to a cutting board using a slotted spoon or spatula. Let it settle a few minutes. If you have sewn up the sacs, slice away just enough squid from that end to dispose of the thread. If you have used toothpicks, remove them. Cut the sacs into slices about ½ inch thick. Arrange the slices on a warm serving platter. Bring the sauce in the pan to a simmer, then pour it over the sliced squid, and serve immediately.
Ahead-of-time note If necessary, the dish can be finished 3 or 4 days in advance. Reheat it as follows: Preheat oven to 300°. Transfer the squid slices and their sauce to a bake-and-serve dish, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of water, and place on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Turn and baste the slices as they warm up, handling them gently to keep them from breaking apart. Serve when warmed all the way through.
Squid with Porcini Mushroom Stuffing
For 4 servings
A small packet OR 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, reconstituted as described
The filtered water from the mushroom soak, see instructions
4 whole squid with sacs measuring 4½ to 5 inches in length, not including the tentacles
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
Salt
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
⅓ cup fine, dry unflavored bread crumbs
Extra virgin olive oil: 1 tablespoon for the stuffing plus 3 tablespoons for cooking
Darning needle and cotton thread OR strong, round toothpicks
½ cup dry white wine
1. Thoroughly rinse the reconstituted dried porcini in several changes of cold water, then chop them very fine. Put them in a small saucepan together with the filtered liquid from their soak, turn on the heat to medium high, and cook until all the liquid has boiled away.
2. Prepare the squid for cooking as described in the preceding recipe for Stuffed Whole Squid Braised with Tomatoes and White Wine. Chop the tentacles very fine.
3. Put the chopped tentacles into a bowl together with the mushrooms, several grindings of pepper, salt, the chopped garlic, parsley, bread crumbs, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix thoroughly with a fork until all the ingredients are uniformly blended.
4. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the mixture, and divide the rest into 4 equal parts, spooning it into the squid sacs. Stuff the sacs and close them with needle and thread or with toothpicks, as described in Step 4 of the preceding recipe. If any stuffing is left over, add it to the tablespoon you had set aside.
5. Choose a saute pan that can subsequently accommodate all the stuffed squid in a single layer. You can squeeze them in quite snugly because they will shrink in cooking. Put 3 tablespoons