Squid and tomato polenta

Squid is a delicious fish (in fact, a mollusc), but it has a reputation for being difficult to tenderise. Do you need to beat it savagely against a rock like a sadistic fisherman?

Must you boil it for hours?

Dip it in hot water? Cold water?

Or both?

As it turns out, none of the above. 

All you have to do is refrain from treating your squid like stew meat. Half an hour on the stove plus some cooling time in the pan are the secret to butter-soft calamari. 

The truth is, squid is easy to prepare and, like all seafood, it pairs beautifully with tomatoes. 

INGREDIENTS

Plum tomatoes 200 gr
Tomato purée  500 gr
Garlic 4 cloves
Olive oil 45 ml (3 tablespoons)
White wine 250 ml
Squid 600 gr (uncleaned) or 400 gr (cleaned)
Peas 300 gr
Coarse ground cornmeal 300 gr
Salt To taste

PREPARATION

CLEAN THE SQUID

If your fishmonger hasn’t been kind enough to do the dirty work and gut the squid for you, you’ll have the pleasure of disemboweling it yourself with your fingers.

Lovely!

Nah, that’s not too terrible; here’s how to go about it:

  • Grab the head of the squid in one hand and the tail in the other, then pull them apart to decapitate the poor beast. 
  • Plunge your fingers into the squid’s body and scoop out the squishy stuff, making sure you remove the cartilage too. 
  • Cut off the tentacles from the head; this is when the squid can exact its revenge by squirting ink all over you, so keep the incision a few millimeters below the eye.

*Tip*

If you are using fresh squid you may want to freeze it for 24 hours; the thawing process will break up the fibers and soften the meat. Remember to thaw it gradually though!

*Note*

For this recipe we used European flying squid, but if you are nowhere near the Mediterranean or the eastern Atlantic you can opt for any other coleoid (yep, we looked it up in the dictionary) including octopus. Should the latter be your choice, make sure that you count the suckers on the tentacles before you buy it and say no if you see only one row. There are various octopus sub-varieties and those without a double line of suction cups are, for the most part, chewy rip-offs.

PREPARE THE INGREDIENTS

  • Rinse the squid carefully to eliminate any sand residue.
  • Cut the body into rings and set them aside with the tentacles.
  • Cut the garlic into thin slices.
  • Wash and cut the tomatoes in half.

PREPARE THE SAUCE

  • Sauté the garlic in the olive oil for one minute.
  • Add the white wine and the chopped tomatoes and sauté for a couple of minutes.
  • Add the tomato purée and the squid.
  • Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.
  • Add the peas; these can be fresh or frozen as they take the same time to soften.
  • Cook for 10 more minutes.
  • Salt the sauce, turn off the heat and let the squid cool in the pan.

COOK THE POLENTA

You can start this step after you’ve put the squid in the pan. You will finish cooking the sauce before the polenta is ready, but don’t forget that letting the squid cool off gradually in its juices is one of the tricks to soften it.

  • Fill a pot with 800 ml of water.
  • Add a pinch of salt.
  • Bring to the boil.
  • Sprinkle the ground cornmeal into the boiling water.
  • Lower the heat immediately.
  • Cook for 5 minutes or until the mixture turns dense while whisking continuously to prevent the formation of lumps.
  • Spoon the polenta into a round metal or silicon form and let it cool for 30 minutes.
  • Gently detach the edges of the solidified polenta from the form with a knife.
  • Turn the form upside down on a plate to release its contents.

PAIR & SERVE 

Pair with a dry white wine or a rosé

  • Great choices are Italian cultivars like Pinot Grigio, Verdicchio, and the Sardianian Vermentino.
  • Should you prefer an international variety, you can accompany your dish with a Chenin Blanc or a French rosé from Provence. Even a light red like Pinot Noir works here because if it’s true that seafood is usually paired with white wines, the hearty polenta is complemented by the fruity and mildly astringent taste of reds with a low tannic content. 
  • Enjoy your white wine and rosé chilled, whereas it is best to take the Pinot Noir out of the fridge 20 minutes before serving it.

Serve your dish

  • Cover the polenta cake in abundant squid and tomato sauce and heat in the microwave for one minute or in the oven at 150°C / 300°F for 5 minutes.

 

ENJOY!

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