# calamari ripiene  fornato (stuffed calamari baked)



## moikel (May 10, 2014)

I have done a couple of versions of stuffed squid here but took them down the Asian route.

This is where I started from I think it was maybe 1980 I cooked this.

This one is baked ,I will stuff them with chicken mince,onion,pancetta,fennel tops,,breadcrumbs,raisins,pine nuts,lemon zest,then make a tomato sauce with fish stock,white wine & bits. 

Bake it in the oven .I think its fish stock,home made I didn't label it
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






,couldn't get fish head at the fish shop & wouldn't pay $8 per 500ml for gourmet  seafood broth at the deli.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





If its not fish its chicken to hard to tell frozen. 

I will get some photos up as I go.


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## moikel (May 10, 2014)

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So part A goes into part B
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





The stuffing is flavoured with fennel tops,fennel seed ,garlic ,lemon,chilli.cbp,chopped ham because what I thought was pancetta was bresola.

Tomato sauce is bottled sugo,canned tomatoes,onion,garlic,chilli,white wine & chicken stock.Bundle of herbs,sage,oregano,parsley.

Simmering sauce now.

Squid cleaning coming up.


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## moikel (May 10, 2014)

Bit of instinct cookery
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 to get over the lack of fish stock.

I took the side fins of each squid & the trim from each hood,that tough collar bit on the big end of the hood,& put that in the tomato sauce . Its simmering away smelling delightfully fishy.$8 for 500ml of fish stock,kiss my ...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Going to get stuffing.


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## moikel (May 10, 2014)

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Ready to go into the oven.

I will do a fennel & orange salad to go with it.

I precook stuffing ,won't take risks with chicken.

I often mix anything with tentacles with another meat, bacon,chorizo,minced pork or chicken. This has a bit of chopped ham in it as well as chicken.

So these should bake in 30 to 45 min.

The sauce will get further flavours from the juices out of the stuffing.

8 squid was a kilo.About $14 . $3 worth of chicken mince whole meal would be the skinny side of $25 .

Aussies bitching about cold weather so this is a good meal.Not exactly snow drifts outside ,it was 12c overnight or 53 f , day time got to 19c but its what your used to I suppose.


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## leah elisheva (May 10, 2014)

Happy Weekend Mate!! This is so beautiful to see! I love cephalopods so much and your calamari are really HUGE! 

Based on your fish market shots from other posts, it seems everything is bigger down under? 

In any event Mick, this is wonderful! As are all your creations! Such a joy to see! I can smell the aromatic herbs and such through the screen!

So terrific!!

Cheers!!! - Leah


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## moikel (May 10, 2014)

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Yes red wine with seafood but it worked.Leahs favourite by proxy Cape Jaffa cab/sav.

This was a really nice plate.

Messy but tasty
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Squid baked in sauce is a bit of a "blue plate special" here & in Italy because it can be kept warm & served to order.

It doesn't have to be chicken mince it could be celery,onion,bell pepper, butt end of pancetta,mortadella, what ever was lurking in the fridge,lemon rind ,parsley.Fennel in season & such a great thing. So I used the fronds in the stuffing,channelled my inner Sicilian.

This was really aromatic,gave the sauce a slug of vermouth on the way through.

We have bigger squid than these but they can be a bit chewy. Baked they melt in your mouth.


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## leah elisheva (May 10, 2014)

Oh the finished product shot is AMAZING! So beautiful! And you had my favorite or much desired wine from your land as well!!! So fabulous!

AND, red is spot on with this due to the sauce. This goes into "rule #2" of win pairing, ("how was the item prepared"), which changes color, texture, density, richness, and so forth, and thus dictates that a suitable pairing match it.

Beautifully done!

Cheers! - Leah


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## disco (May 10, 2014)

Great looking meal. I love your techniques.

Disco


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## chef jimmyj (May 10, 2014)

Looks Great Mick. Your improv' with the squid trim was creative and will give good flavor. In the future if you go with the Chicken Stock it will be fine. Long cooking of Squid in a sauce causes the squid to release a lot of flavorful moisture and also develops a deep bottom of the sea rich flavor that will become somewhat dominant yet compliment the flavor of the chix stock, think Asian Master Stock. Anything that goes in the pot, Bones of Beef, Pork, Chicken, Ham or Shrimp Shells, comes together to give an overall delicious flavor...JJ


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## moikel (May 10, 2014)

Leah Elisheva said:


> Oh the finished product shot is AMAZING! So beautiful! And you had my favorite or much desired wine from your land as well!!! So fabulous!
> 
> AND, red is spot on with this due to the sauce. This goes into "rule #2" of win pairing, ("how was the item prepared"), which changes color, texture, density, richness, and so forth, and thus dictates that a suitable pairing match it.
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Thanks it was a great meal & todays lunch after I get back from Bay Walk in what we laughingly call winter here ,21c at the minute.

Squid are such a great item to start & versatile.


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## foamheart (May 10, 2014)

Really a great looking meal !!


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## dirtsailor2003 (May 11, 2014)

Great looking meal Mick! Since we have no fish market here anymore we never get to have fun things like that for dinner!


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## frankbe (May 12, 2014)

Looking great Moikel.

Squid is one of my favorites (a lot of them here , low price and fresh).

The misses use the chicken stock also.

The tomato sauce is a "next to add" recipe.

Thanks mate.


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## moikel (May 12, 2014)

FrankBE said:


> Looking great Moikel.
> 
> Squid is one of my favorites (a lot of them here , low price and fresh).
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The sauce could easy be reheated just with a few prawns or such added & you have instant marinara pasta sauce. 

Squid very popular here in Thai cooking.My office on the edge of Thainatown ,a sub district of Chinatown. The city even put of official street signs.


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## smoking b (May 12, 2014)

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I missed this while I was gone - that looks really, really great!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





   I bet they were incredibly tender the way you made them! Nice job man!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





   Squid are yet another great item that is hard to come by for me


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## moikel (May 13, 2014)

Smoking B said:


> IMG_0799.jpg
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I was busy watching your soup & terrine.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I thought that was great cookery.

Some of the frozen squid is way better than I expected. Hand jigged snap frozen from Indonesia ,un gutted.It was great when I got some from a restaurant friend .They might turn up in your 'hood.

It was equal to our fresh stuff&cheaper. People get silly & pay "overs" for the supposedly premium local stuff then just deep fry it anyway.


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## smoking b (May 13, 2014)

Moikel said:


> I was busy watching your soup & terrine.
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I will keep an eye out for some good frozen squid then. There is a restaurant supply an hour away from me - maybe they have access to them  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





   I won't be frying them though - although I really like the tiny little ones fried up whole!


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