Braised squid and peas
- 1 onion
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1kg medium squid, cleaned
- 125ml dry white wine
- 400g canned tomatoes with juices, or tomato passata
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 150ml water or stock
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- pinch of sugar
- sea salt and pepper
- 200g green peas, fresh or frozen
Tip: To clean calamari, gently grasp the head and pull, twisting it out of the body. Pull out the inner quill. Cut off the tentacles from just above the eyes and squeeze and discard the small sphere that pops out. Discard all but body and tentacles. Peel the skin from the tubes, rinse well, getting right into the pointy end, and pat dry.
Method
Halve the onion and finely slice. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pan, add the onion and garlic and cook gently for 10 minutes. Cut the squid bodies into 2cm-thick strips and each cluster of tentacles in two.
Add the squid and fry for 3 minutes until it is lightly coloured, turning occasionally. Add the white wine and let it bubble for a minute or two. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, paprika, sugar, salt and pepper and simmer very gently for 30 minutes. Add the peas and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until the sauce is thick, rich and juicy.
Serves 4
