Crab Stuffed Calamari

This dish i created for a dinner party a few years ago and i just came across it as i was preparing to post my next dinner party menu. Thank you all for the emails and yes i prepared the last dinner party menu for 8 in a very small NYC kitchen.

Crab Stuffed Calamari

Ingredients

The Calamari

12 cleaned squid with the tentacles
1/2 lb of lump crab meat
1/4 cup of olive oil
3 red onions quartered and sliced thin
2 small red dried chiles, crumbled
3 table spoons thin sliced kokum
3 table spoons diced chives
3 table spoons chopped cilantro, stems removed
2 table spoons chopped pealed ginger
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Salt and pepper to taste

The Sauce

1 quart of water
2 medium onions diced
8 fresh curry leaves
5 pieces of kokum
4 dried chiles, New Mexico style, chopped and seeds removed
2 table spoons of Tamarind paste
1 table spoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds, yellow
1/2 teaspoon raw sugar
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Sauce

In the blender place the onions, chiles, ginger and 1 quart of water and puree until smooth.
In a large sauce pan place the olive oil, cumin and mustard seeds over medium high heat for about 1/2 a minute. Next add the curry leaves, chile puree, tamarind paste, sugar and 2 more additional cups of water and salt and pepper to taste. Bring a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Now add the kokum and simmer for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Calamari

Dice the squid tentacles and set aside.
In another large sauce pan add the olive oil over med high heat; once it is shimmering add cumin seeds and heat for 1 minute. Next add the onions, ginger, kokum, chiles and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Now add the diced tentacles, remove from heat and stir until squid is cooked through. Set aside to cool.

Once cool add the chives, cilantro and crab meat tossing to combined. Check for salt and pepper and add if needed.

Time to stuff the squid bodies. Use about a 1/4 cup of crab mixture into each body, leaving enough room so that you can pinch closed and use a tooth pick to seal. Do not pack too tightly. Pat stuffed squid dry.

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees

Place a large skillet over medium high heat with two table spoons of olive oil and sear the squid on each side for about 1 minute each side.

Place sear squid on a baking sheet and place in oven and roast for about 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and plate with a the sauce spoon over the calamari. Remember to remove the tooth pick before serving

Enjoy Cooking