Stuffed Calamari Recipe

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Stuffed calamari recipe (also called stuffed squid recipe) is very common in the Mediterranean countries and I discovered that is very popular in the USA during Christmas. I love it any time of the year.

What is calamari

In case you get confused, calamari is squid in Italian and Spanish. They are cephalopods, the same family as octopus and cuttlefish, with short legs and long head. You can find them in different sizes called with different names but the taste is very similar.

To make this stuffed calamari recipe I use large sized squid with a long body/head so it can hold enough stuffing. The body/head tends to shrink when cooked so the longer the better.

If you want to find out more about the difference between squid, cuttlefish and octopus you can read my article: What Are Calamari Squid Cuttlefish and Octopus.

If you like calamari, you can also try Fried Calamari

White or red sauce

There are two versions of this recipe, one with tomato sauce and one without. I like the one without tomato sauce as you can better taste the squid.

I flavour it with white wine and let it simmer in its own juices.

And no, it is not too dry at all!

When your guests cut the calamari in half, they will discover the flavoured breadcrumbs mixed with the tentacles. Each bite will be filled with flavoured seafood enhanced by garlic, lemon zest, and wine.

If you want to make the red sauce add tomato sauce after the white wine has evaporated then cook for the last 10 to 15 minutes.

How to clean a calamari

Frankly, I would recommend asking your fishmonger to clean them for you. It is not difficult to clean them, but kind of disgusting.

Anyway, if you are up to the challenge or got stuck having to clean them, here is how:

Detach the legs from the head
Remove the eye and the beak from the legs
Empty the head from all the organs
Make sure you remove the tendon inside the head
Scrape off the skin from the head

You can see a video here below: Jump to Video

Italian seasoned breadcrumbs for the stuffing

I always use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs in many of my recipes, that is why I usually prepare a large amount and keep it in the freezer. They don’t need to be defrosted ahead of time.

If you want to know more about it you can read the article: Grated Parmesan and Breadcrumbs. also check out the article: Once a Month Freezer Meal Prep to find out what else I keep in my freezer.

I always keep the stale bread aside and when I have time I prepare the breadcrumbs and freeze it. Here are the ingredients I use in proportion to 3 cups of grated stale bread:

3 cups of grated stale bread
1/2 cup of parmesan
1/2 cup of basil leaves or parsley
1 garlic cloves
1 lemon zest ( in addition for this recipe)

If you are making it only for this recipe use the amount listed on the recipe card below

How to prepare the stuffing

Greate the parmesan in a shredder
Cut the stale bread in chunks small enough to fit in the shredder
Shredd the bread putting the garlic first so the bread absorbs the flavour
Take a cup of shredded breadcrumbs and blend it with the parsley leaves (used shredded bread otherwise you risk to break the blender as the bread is too hard for a blender)
Add the shredded parmesan to the breadcrumbs
Then the breadcrumbs mixed with the parsley
Lastly, add the lemon zest

Following this procedure will minimize waste (like parsley been stuck in the side of the blender, or parmesan left inside the shredder) and a perfect combination of flavours (the breadcrumbs absorbing the garlic and the parsley)

It is best if the breadcrumbs rest overnight to absorbs all the flavours. If you freeze them you don’t have to worry about it and use them directly.

Making the recipe

Separate the calamari heads from the legs. Make sure there is no bone left inside the heads
Stir fry the legs with olive oil and garlic
Cut the legs into small pieces and mix with the breadcrumbs
Fill the heads with the breadcrumbs mix pushing the filling all the way down. Do not overfill them as the head will shrinks when cooking and the filling will pop out if it is too full
Close the ends with a toothpick
Stir fry the calamari until they become slightly white and pierce the heads so the juices can come out while the heads cook and shrink
Add 1/2 glass of white wine, cover and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the calamari. If you want red stuffed calamari you can add your tomato sauce after the wine then cook for 10 to 15 minutes
Once they are ready, place them on the serving dish, remove the toothpick from the heads and pour the juices on top
If you have any legs left a side serve them with the calamari

Top tips

I use large sized squid with a long body/head so it can hold enough stuffing. The body/head tends to shrink when cooked so the longer the better.
Make sure there is no bone left inside the heads
It is difficult to know how much breadcrumbs you can fit into each head so to avoid having leftover, combine half of the tentacles first then combine more as needed.
Do not overfill the calamari with the stuffing as the head will shrinks when cooking and the filling will pop out if it is too full
If you want to make red stuffed calamari add tomato sauce after the white wine has evaporated then cook for the last 10 to 15 minutes.

fork taking a bite of the stuffed calamari

What to serve with them

This plate has a delicate flavour of squid and white wine and I like to serve it with a side that will not overpower the delicate taste.

A simple green salad and steamed potatoes are my favourite combination with fish. So here are some ideas:

Recipes you might also like

If you are looking for more Italian Seafood recipes, you can check the category:
Seafood

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