Creamy Polenta For Stuffed Calamari Recipes

Steps:

• Prepare the calamari: Rinse the bodies and set aside. Dice the tentacles and the shrimp into 1/4-to-1/2-inch pieces. Beat the egg in a large bowl. Add the diced calamari tentacles and shrimp, the breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, basil, lemon zest and juice, anchovies and garlic. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste and mix until combined.
• Using your fingers, stuff each calamari body about two-thirds full with the shrimp-breadcrumb mixture and close with a toothpick. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Sear the calamari in batches until browned and opaque on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes, and transfer to a plate.
• Make the sauce: Lower the heat, add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pot and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt, then add the wine and scrape up any browned bits from the pot. Boil until the wine is almost evaporated, then crush the tomatoes into the pot with your hands and add the juices. Add 1 cup water, 3/4 teaspoon salt and the basil stalks. Arrange the calamari in a single layer in the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the calamari are tender, about 40 minutes. Uncover and cook until the sauce thickens, 10 to 15 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the polenta: Place 4 1/2 cups cold water in a separate pot over low heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and the bay leaf. Whisk in the polenta in a slow, steady stream, then increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Reduce the heat and cook at a bare simmer, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the polenta is thick and pulls away from the sides of the pot, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese.
• Divide the polenta among shallow bowls. Discard the toothpicks and place the calamari on top of the polenta. Remove the basil stalks and spoon the sauce over the dish. Garnish with the chopped basil and more parmesan.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Rinse the calamari tubes and pat dry.
• In a large bowl, stir together the onions, 6 cloves garlic, shrimp, crabmeat and lemon juice. Spoon some of this mixture into each squid tube and seal the ends by 'sewing' with a toothpick. Arrange in a single layer in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cream cheese and 2 cloves garlic. Cook and stir until cream cheese has melted. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook until heated through and then remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and pepper. Pour over all of the calamari tubes in the baking dish. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of Romano cheese on top of each one.
• Bake uncovered until the cheese is browned and sauce is bubbly. While the calamari is baking, Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain. Serve the stuffed calamari and sauce over a bed of linguine.

Steps:

• In a medium pot with high sides combine the water, milk, and heavy cream and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and slowly pour in the polenta while whisking constantly. Cook the mixture for at least 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon until thickened and cooked. Stir in the lemon zest and kosher salt.

Steps:

• In a large, deep saucepan bring milk to a boil over medium-high heat. While whisking constantly, add polenta in a slow, steady stream. Reduce heat to medium, cook until thickened, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in cheese, heavy cream, and butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse the taralli until it forms coarse crumbs. Measure 1 1/4 cups of the crumbs. Pulse the squid tentacles in the food processor to chop them fine, and pat them very dry with paper towels.
• In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. When shimmering, add the squid tentacles, and spread them out. Sear until golden brown, about 5 minutes, then add the butter, garlic and red-pepper flakes to taste. Cook, stirring, until the garlic just starts to color, about 1 minute.
• Add the shrimp, season with salt and cook until just pink, about 2 minutes. Add the wine, and simmer for 1 minute. Turn off the heat, and stir in the taralli crumbs and lemon zest. The crumbs should look like wet, clumpy sand. If the mixture is too dry, sprinkle in a little more wine, and allow the filling to cool until just warm.
• Stuff each squid body with the filling, leaving the bottom and top inches unfilled (the stuffing will expand as it cooks). Secure the tops with toothpicks, and season all over with salt.
• Make the sauce: In a wide, deep pan, warm 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add red-pepper flakes to taste and the garlic, and cook until fragrant and just beginning to color. Stir in the tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper.
• Bring the tomatoes to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes. Add the calamari and any extra stuffing, and bring back to a very gentle simmer.
• Cover the pan, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat to make sure the sauce maintains a lazy bubble. Adjust with salt to taste. Garnish with the parsley. Serve with bread or pasta.

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Add onion and poblano and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and butter and cook until butter has melted. Remove from heat. Add breadcrumbs, 3 tablespoons parsley, and 1/4 cup water; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper; transfer to a bowl to cool.
• Using a spoon, stuff each calamari body with about 2 tablespoons breadcrumb mixture; thread a toothpick through the open end to enclose. Sprinkle stuffed calamari with any remaining breadcrumb mixture.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add calamari and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and continue to cook 2 more minutes. Add wine; let reduce for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook, until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon parsley. Remove toothpicks and serve immediately with creamy polenta.

Steps:

• In a large, deep saucepan, bring 5 cups of water to a boil. While whisking constantly, add polenta in a slow, steady stream. Reduce heat to medium, cook until thickened, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in cheese, heavy cream, and butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Cook the polenta. Bring 5 cups salted water to a boil in a small pot. Pour in the cornmeal, stirring with a whisk or wooden spoon until it thickens, about 2 minutes. Turn the flame to low and cook for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter, if using, and a little freshly ground pepper. Serve warm from the pot. Or pour into a pan, allow to firm up and cut into wedges. Reheat for 10 minutes in a 400-degree oven.
• Cut the squid bodies into 1/2-inch rings. Cut the tentacles in pieces or leave whole if small. Rinse, pat dry and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat until the oil looks wavy. Carefully add the squid (it will spatter) and stir to coat. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, marjoram and mint and cook, stirring all the while, for 1 minute, until the squid rings have puffed up and look opaque. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute more.
• Turn off the heat. Add the parsley and scallions and serve immediately with the accumulated pan juices and lemon wedges if desired.