Over the past month I’ve seen a couple bloggers writing about stuffed squid and it got me curious. Kyoto Foodie posted about ika meshi that they picked up at Takashimaya. Then last night, Jonny at We Are Never Full posted a delightful looking Morcilla Stuffed Squid.
On the way home from work tonight, I stopped by the Japanese grocery and they had some giant squid that was so fresh I could have sworn it winked at me. Taking that as a sign I picked 1 up (yes, just 1, this thing was almost 2 feet long with tentacles). I decided to stuff it with pressed tofu and and some veggies to go along with the cherry blossom rice I’d picked up a mix for.
Having never been a big fan of squid (other than battered and deep fried), I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it, but it was good, not mind blowing, but good. The stuffing was crumbly, savoury and moist with the surrounding squid firm but not chewy, all happily glazed in caramelized teriyaki sauce.
For a veggie alternative I think the tofu mixture would be fantastic stuffed into “age” (deep fried tofu pockets, the things used to make inari sushi) then simmered in some dashi.
What’s your favorite stuffed squid recipe?
Continue for full recipe
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Whether it’s in an Izakaya (Japanese tapas bar) or a more refined Kaiseki(where 14 courses is the norm) restaurant, Japanese people are into having a variety of small plates. Like Spanish tapas, these aren’t really big enough to be considered a course by American standards and the idea is to order a bunch of dishes. For people like me that can never decide what they want, this is works out nicely:-)
This is a little salad I made up out of some stuff I had left over in the fridge. The crisp sweet pear, the creamy ika and salty tangy pickled plum balance each other out nicely. If you’re squeamish about ika or it’s hard to find in your area, you could always replace it with some calamari rings seared in olive oil. The asian pears could be substituted for a sweet crispy apple and while the pickled plum isn’t really substitutable, you can find it on the internet (do a search for “umeboshi”).
1 large Umeboshi (pickled plum) seed removed and minced
1 tsp olive oil
2 oz sashimi grade ika (squid) sliced lengthwise into “noodlesâ€
2 Tbs asian pear cut into small cubes
2 shiso leaves rolled and cut into very thin ribbons
Prepare the dressing by mixing the umeboshi and olive oil. Add a bit more olive oil if it seems to pasty.
Add the squid, pear and shiso leaves and mix to combine.
Serve immediately. This also goes well on slices of cucumber.
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When it comes to pasta’s I like simplicity that highlights the quality of a few fresh ingredients. This recipe is about as simple as it gets and yet there’s something exotic about an Italian inspired Japanese dish (… or is it the other way around?) The creamy olive oil tames the spicy brininess of the cod row, while the shiso offers fresh relief from the intense essence of the sea.
If you’re not much of a seafood fan, this might be one you want to pass on, but if you love anchovies in your pasta, this should be right up your ally. You can get spicy cod roe at Japanese or Korean markets and the shiso and sushi grade squid should be available at most Japanese grocery stores. If you’re having trouble procuring the squid or the shiso, try buying some from your local sushi joint (shiso is that green leaf that often comes as a garnish for sashimi).
2 Tbs spicy cod roe (also known as karashi mentai)
1 Tbs good quality olive oil
6 oz linguine or spaghetti cooked al dente
2 oz sashimi grade raw squid sliced into “noodles”
4 green shiso leaves cut into thin ribbons
Cod roe typically comes in membranes and looks like an oblong sausage. Squeeze the cod roe out of the membrane into a bowl and add the olive oil. Stir to combine.
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box and drain well. Add it to the cod roe mixture and toss until well combined. Add the squid and half the shiso and toss.
Serve the pasta and top with squid and reserved shiso.
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