A family favourite that I’ll often make for a birthday or celebration, this is my take on a recipe that might otherwise take a lot more time. It’s easy and totally delicious. Just be sure that everyone likes garlic before you go ahead!!
For 4 people you’ll need:
Squid rings – about 120g per person *see note 1
3 tablespoons of olive oil
I onion finely sliced
4 cloves of garlic (3 sliced and one finely chopped)
60ml or Cognac/Armagnac/Brandy for cooking *see note 2
A finely sliced red pepper
2 medium tomatoes skinned and roughly chopped
A tablespoon of tomato purée
A long strip of pared orange peel
A sprig of thyme
A bay leaf
A couple of star anise
180ml dry white wine
600ml of chicken stock *see note 3
250g waxy potatoes
Mayonnaise
Harissa
Flat leaf parsley to serve
Bread! *see note 4
Method:
If you want to make your life really easy use frozen pre cut squid rings that you’ve defrosted.
Heat a couple of tablespoons of the oil in a deep flat pan and fry the onion and garlic gently until soft but not brown.
Add the brandy, light it with a match and stand back! When the flames have died down, add the pepper, tomatoes, tomato purée, orange rind, thyme, wine, star anise and stock and bring to a gentle simmer.
In another pan, add a little olive oil and fry the squid (be careful to pat dry beforehand) until browned and then add to the pan with the other ingredients. Season with salt and pepper and leave it to stew gently for about an hour with the lid on but slightly ajar.
While that is simmering, cut the waxy potatoes into cubes and simmer in salted water until tender (about 7 minutes or so). Drain them and set them aside.
In another bowl, put 5 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Add harissa to taste and the finely chopped clove of garlic *see note 4. Check for heat, add more harissa if you like it really spicy, less if you like it spicy but not too hot
When the squid is tender (check a ring to see if it’s soft and cuts easily), add the potatoes and with the lid off simmer for another 5 minutes or so until they’re well integrated into the dish and have taken on some of the flavours.
Take off the heat and stir in the garlicky, harissa mayonnaise. Serve immediately sprinkled with chopped flat leaf parsley.
Serve with fresh crusty bread to mop up the sauce or make big croutons with slices of french bread toasted and rubbed with a clove of garlic then drizzled with a little olive oil.
Notes:
1 Fresh or frozen squid is fine. I keep a bag of frozen squid rings in the freezer and they are perfect for this dish as it’s a long slow cook that results in meltingly tender squid.
2 The brandy is an important addition to the dish for real depth of flavour but if you don’t have it or are afraid to flame it you can just add a little or leave it out.
3 Chicken stock made using a stock cube is fine here. If you don’t eat meat then substitute fish stock instead.
4 If you don’t have time to make the croutons just serve with plenty of fresh crusty bread to mop up the sauce
