Surely this dish symbolizes Greece more than any other. If you choose to serve it for a dinner party it has the distinct advantage that it can be prepared in advance and then reheated when required. A good fishmonger will be more than happy to clean the squid for you.
preparation time 40 minutes
cooking time 11⁄4 hours
serves 6
Ingredients
6 small squid
75 ml (3 fl oz) olive oil
175 g (6 oz) onions, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
150 ml (5 fl oz) hot water
juice of 1 lemon
750 g (11⁄2 lb) fresh spinach, washed and shredded
75 g (3 oz) long grain rice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce
75 ml (3 fl oz) olive oil
300 g (10 oz) tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and chopped
1 tablespoon tomato purée
1 small glass of red wine
150 ml (5 fI oz) water
1 To prepare the squid, pull the head away from the body and discard the innards that come out with it, including the ink sac if there is one. Pull out the rest of the insides from the body – the translucent, plastic-like bone and, probably, some roe. Peel off the outer blue membrane from the body of the squid, then cut off and discard the fins. Wash the body thoroughly and pat dry.
2 Slice the tentacles from the head and discard the head. Wash the tentacles well and pat dry, then slice them finely.
3 To make the stuffing, heat the oil in a saucepan, then add the sliced tentacles and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the onions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until they have softened. Pour in the hot water and lemon juice, cover and cook gently for about 15–20 minutes.
4 Add the spinach, mix through and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the chopped herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper.
5 Pack the stuffing loosely into the body of the squid, leaving room for the rice to expand while cooking.
6 For the sauce, heat the oil in a wide saucepan, add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée, red wine and water, season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil.
7 Put the stuffed squid in the sauce, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook slowly for 45 minutes.
8 Check the seasoning of the sauce and adjust if necessary, then serve.