Calamari in Zimino
Squid slowly stewed with Swiss chard, tomato, white wine, from Liguria, served with toasted bread.
Equipment
- Wide heavy-based casserole or deep frying pan
- Chopping Board
- Chef's knife
- Wooden Spoon
- colander
Ingredients
- 800 grams calamari cleaned, cut into thin rings (tentacles kept whole)
- 600 grams Swiss chard stalks removed, leaves roughly chopped
- 250 grams tinned peeled tomatoes crushed by hand
- 1 medium white onion finely chopped
- 1 stick celery finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 4 sprigs fresh marjoram leaves picked
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- Salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-based pan over a low-medium heat. Add the onion, celery and a pinch of salt. Cook gently for 8-10 minutes until soft. Do not colour.
- Add the garlic, parsley and chilli flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring.
- Add the chard. Stir to combine, cover and cook over a low heat for 8-10 minutes until wilted.
- Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the squid and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until opaque.
- Pour in the white wine. Let it bubble and reduce for 2-3 minutes until the alcohol has cooked off.
- Add the crushed tinned tomatoes. Stir well, season with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid. If the sauce is too wet, raise the heat and cook uncovered for a further 3-4 minutes to reduce.
- Scatter over the marjoram leaves. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve immediately with toasted bread.
Notes
- Calamari releases liquid as it cooks - don't be alarmed if the pan looks wet after step 6. The uncovered reduction in step 7 handles this.
- Marjoram is added at the end - it loses its flavour if cooked for too long.
- Taggiasca extra virgin olive oil is worth using here if you can find it.