Nana's Kitchen

Calamari

Ingredients

Note: no garlic is used in this recipe. Squid must be cleaned very well. (Purchasing �already cleaned� squid will make this part easier.) Even if it was cleaned by the fish market/department, it must be cleaned again and again, as follows:

  1. Put squid into a colander and let cold water run over it, as you use your hands to make sure that all of it is being cleaned. Don�t spare the water!
  2. Put the tentacle-type squid aside, temporarily, as it may need special cleaning (if not cleaned prior to purchase). The regular squid must be cut into 3/8� ring-shaped pieces. The squid will be more tender if cut into slightly smaller pieces, but that makes it more difficult to further clean, which is done as follows:

Turn cut pieces inside-out and clean again, as above.

Tentacle-type squid, if not cleaned prior to purchase, will have ink-like fluid in the sack part. This is removed by cutting that area to let the black fluid ooze out, being careful not to damage the tentacles. After the fluid is removed, lightly scrape the tentacles to take away some of the sharpness. (Do not use up too much time on this or try to scrape the area bare. It is unnecessary and will damage the tentacle. The object of this cleaning is to remove the ink-like fluid, without damaging the tentacle.)

Rinse again under cold water.

After all the squid is cleaned, put it in a large pot, add a little water (very little, because the squid has absorbed a lot of water in the cleaning process). Steam, covered, for 10-15 minutes. This is necessary, otherwise the squid will not be tender enough.

I emphasized the above cleaning and steaming process because it will take the most care. Prepare the sauce and have it simmering on the stove while you clean the squid.

Pour the oil into a frying pan. Add sliced onion and fry until soft and lightly browned. Do not allow the edges to become crispy or too dark. Next, add the can of tomato paste and mix it with the onion. Add water when the paste becomes dry and/or darker. You will use at least one can (6 oz) of water, but the amount will vary depending on the thickness of the paste.

Add the whole tomatoes to a pot. Simmer for 10 minutes, season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the onion/paste mixture to this pot. This is the sauce to which the steamed squid must be added. The sauce and squid must be cooked over a low flame for 2-3 hours, adding water if necessary. (You may use some of the water from the steamed squid to change the flavor of the sauce slightly.)