Stuffed Braised Squid

OK we have day dyslexia and at Easter we should have done “Fish on a Friday” but let’s not be pedantic. At £1.26 two intact Squid seemed like the foundation of a good meal.

Ingredients:-

2 Whole Squid. To prepare pull the contents out of the body cavity. Cut the Tentacles off the head and make sure you remove the ‘Beak’ in the middle. Also pull out the transparent ‘Quill’ from the body cavity.
25g of Capers
50g of Breadcrumbs ( Gluten free wuzzed up bread works for us)
1 Egg, beaten
3 Tbsp of Olive Oil
15g of grated Italian Style hard Cheese
1 Garlic Clove, chopped
1 Onion, finely diced
10 Cherry Tomatoes, chopped
400g of Passata
2 Sheets of Kelp, steeped in cold Water to rehydrate. Cut into Tagliatelle sized strips
100g of Pickled Cockles
Rice Noodles
1 Tsp of Cuttlefish Paste (Chinese Supermarket gig again, but it’s cheap and lasts for ever in the fridge)
1 Tsp of Red Chilli Pepper Sauce (Home made as we had a few too many Red Peppers in the fridge)
Salt & Pepper to season
Fresh Parsley to garnish (Picked from our balcony plant usually)

Method:-

(1) Add ½ of the Capers and ½ of the Cockles to a bowl with the Breadcrumbs, Egg, 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil and 2 Tbsp of Warter.
(2) Add the grated Cheese, Garlic and Parsley and mix well.
(3) In a large frying pan over a medium heat add the Onions, with the  Red Chilli Pepper Sauce, Cuttlefish Paste, 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil and season with Salt & Pepper. To create the sauce.
(4) Fry until the Onions soften.
(5) Add the Tomatoes & Passata and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
(6) Put the Tentacles to one side.
(7) Stuff the bodies of the Squid with the Breadcrumb mix, so they about ½ filled.
(8) Secure the opening with toothpicks.
(9) Add the remaining Capers & Cockles to the sauce and continue to simmer.
(10) Add the stuffed Squid and the Tentacles to the sauce and simmer over a very low heat for 25 to 30 minutes.
(11) In salted Water boil the Kelp for 10 minutes.
(12) Drain and refresh the water, bringing it back to the boil.
(13) Add the Rice Noddles and cook according to the packet instructions.
(14) Remove the stuffed Squid and after removing the toothpicks, set aside.
(15) Drain the Kelp and Noodles and place on your plates.
(16) Slice each Squid diagonally to reveal the filling.
(17) Add the Squid to the top of the Kelp / Noddles and pour the Sauce over.
(18) Garnish with the remaining grated Italian Style hard Cheese and fresh Parsley.


We got the dried Kelp from a Chinese Supermarket within walking distance (for me). Cut into Tagliatelle sized strips it adds to real “Sea” taste. But next time I might cut it a bit thinner, for various digestive reasons……!