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By Root 1109 0

liquid level to the top of the squid, and check seasoning. Simmer on top of the stove, or in the oven if it happens to be on at a moderate temperature. Turn the squid occasionally, with great care, and keep the heat down. Allow 30 to 45 minutes on top of the stove, longer in the oven, uncovered in either case, so that the sauce reduces.

Five minutes before serving the squid, sieve the ink into the sauce. You could also then sieve the sauce if you prefer to have it smooth. Tuck the bread into the dish, round the side, and scatter the little white cushions of squid with a discreet amount of chopped parsley.

Chipirones a la bilbaina

Prepare the squid as above, retaining none of the ink. Make the stuffing as above, with the same ingredients. Stuff the squid, colour them lightly in a little olive oil and put into a pan or pot. For the sauce, you will need:

cooked onion from the stuffing

500 g (1 lb) mussels, opened, their liquor strained

lemon juice

2 medium tomatoes, skinned, seeded, chopped

salt, pepper, cayenne

a little fine chopped parsley

Put the onion, the mussel liquor, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and the tomatoes in with the squid. Cook gently as above. Sieve the sauce or process it, if you like. Check the seasoning and pour round the squid. Stir in the mussels, minus their shells, and heat through as briefly as possible. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately, with bread.

Kalamarakia yemista

Prepare the squid in the usual way. Keep the ink for another dish. You will also need:

175 g (6 oz) chopped onion

chopped tentacles and flaps from the squid

olive oil

125 g (4 oz) brown or long grain rice

75 g (2½ oz) pine kernels

100 g (3½ oz) currants or raisins

1 small bunch of parsley, chopped

salt, pepper

125 ml (4 fl oz) dry white or red wine

375 ml (12 fl oz) tomato juice

3 pieces dried tomato, chopped or tomato paste

Cook the onion and tentacles in the minimum of oil until soft. Stir in the rice, and 125 ml (4 fl oz) water. When the water is absorbed, add the pine kernels, currants or raisins and enough chopped parsley to make a good speckled effect. Season and stuff the squid, as above.

Brown the squid lightly in a little oil. Add wine, tomato juice, dried tomato or tomato paste. Keep the pan at a simmer, until the squid are tender. If the sauce reduces too fast, half-cover the pan and lower the heat. Add seasoning towards the end.

SUMMER BORSHCH WITH SQUID

Serves 6

500 g (1 lb) squid of medium size

fish stock or water, about 1½ litres (3 pt)

500 g (1 lb) beetroot, plus 1 extra

about 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 medium carrots

1 small head of fennel or the heart of a small head of celery

2 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped

bundle of 6–8 spring onions, chopped

12 tiny new potatoes, scraped

125 g (4 oz) small courgettes, sliced diagonally

salt, pepper

3 cloves

bouquet garni including a sprig of dill

smetana or soured cream and finely chopped dill to garnish

Clean the squid, retaining the body sacks and tentacles and leaving them unsliced. If you have no fish stock, boil up the innards and heads with the water to give it a little flavour.

Keep any lively looking stalks and leaves from the beetroot. Peel and grate the extra beetroot into a small pan. Pour enough boiling water over it to cover completely and add 3 tablespoons of vinegar. Bring slowly to the boil, then cover and set aside to infuse for 20 minutes while you make the borshch: this is the brilliant coloured beetroot stock that you use at the end to revive the colour.

Peel the rest of the beetroot and grate it coarsely into matchstick shreds directly into a large pan. A mandolin is the ideal implement. Do the same with the carrots. Add the squid and cover with fish stock or water. Simmer for 20 minutes, removing the squid pieces when tender: slice them into strips and keep to one side. Add the rest of the vegetables to the pan with extra stock or water to keep them well covered as they