Ingredients

• 800 g squid
• 200 g short grain rice
• 1 piece onion
• 60 g pine nuts
• 1 bunch fresh dill
• 1 bunch fresh parsley
• 120 ml olive oil
• 1 piece tomato
• 2 piece lemon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 300 ml water

Instructions

1. Clean the squid

   Remove tentacles from squid tubes and pull out the clear cartilage spine from inside each tube. Rinse the tubes thoroughly under cold running water for 2-3 minutes until completely clean inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside. Do not tear the delicate squid tubes during cleaning.

2. Prepare rice filling base

   Finely dice the onion into 3mm pieces and grate the tomato, discarding the skin. Heat 60ml olive oil in a large pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the diced onion and cook for 5-6 minutes until soft and translucent. Do not let the onion brown or it will become bitter.

3. Toast pine nuts

   Add pine nuts to the pan with onions over medium heat and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes until they turn golden brown and release a nutty aroma. Add the grated tomato and cook for another 2 minutes until the liquid evaporates. Do not let the pine nuts burn as they will taste bitter.

4. Cook rice filling

   Add the rice to the pan and stir over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until the grains are well coated with oil and slightly translucent. Add 200ml hot water, salt, and pepper. Cook for 10-12 minutes until rice is tender but still firm. Do not overcook the rice as it will continue cooking inside the squid.

5. Add herbs to filling

   Finely chop the dill and parsley, then stir them into the cooked rice along with juice of 1 lemon. Mix gently for 1 minute over low heat until herbs are well distributed and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Do not add herbs while the mixture is too hot or they will lose their color.

6. Stuff the squid

   Using a small spoon, carefully fill each squid tube with the rice mixture, leaving 2cm space at the top. Secure the opening with a toothpick by threading it through both sides. Fill each tube about 3/4 full as the rice will expand. Do not overstuff or the squid will burst during cooking.

7. Cook stuffed squid

   Heat remaining 60ml olive oil in a large pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Place stuffed squid in the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes per side until lightly golden. Add 100ml water and juice of 1 lemon. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes until squid is tender. Do not cook on high heat or the squid will become rubbery.

Tips

Comments (0)