Shrimp Stuffed Squid with Hot Tomato Sauce

This recipe is for those who have always associated squid with chewy, rubbery and tasteless chunks of fish. Just like me, you will be surprised at the tenderness of these stuffed squid. Most stuffed squid recipes just use the tentacles, but because my squid was armless, I had to go for shrimp.

A mouth-watering dish to enjoy with gnocchi!

Ingredients for 2 servings:

2 squid

2 slices pancetta

1 stalk celery

1 medium carrot

16 (about 1 cup) medium shrimp

Fresh thyme

2 slices bread

For the sauce:

2 small leeks

4 medium tomatoes

1 cherry bomb (or hot pepper)

½ to 1 cup dry white wine

Olive oil

1. To make the stuffing, finely chop the celery and carrot and peel the shrimp.

2. Brown the pancetta in a non-stick pan over medium high heat.

3. Remove the pancetta from the pan and drain on paper towel.

4. Add the chopped vegetable to the pan and stir fry for about 5 mins, until soft. 5. Transfer the vegetable to a bowl.

6. Add some oil to the same pan and stir fry the thyme and the shrimp for 1-2 min, until just pink.

7. Coarsely chop the shrimp and add to the vegetables.

8. Toast and chop the bread in the food processor.

9. Stir the breadcrumbs into the shrimp vegetable mixture.

10. Rinse the squid with cold water and pat dry with paper towel.

11. Close each squid at one end using skewers and stuff with the shrimp stuffing.

12. Close the other end of each squid with skewers.

13. Heat some olive oil over medium high heat in a non-stick pan.

14. Place the stuffed squid in the pan and fry all sides for 1-2 mins. Remove the skewers.

15. To make the tomato sauce, chop the leeks, the tomatoes and the cherry bomb.

16. In a small pan, heat some olive oil over medium high.

17. Stir fry the leek then the tomatoes for 5 mins. 18. Add the hot pepper and pour ½ cup of wine into the pan.

19. Let simmer for 2 mins and add the pancetta into the sauce.

20. Pour the sauce on the squid and add the rest of the wine to the pan.

21. Stir and cover for 5 to 10 mins.

22. Serve immediately.