‘Crush pepper, rue, a little honey, broth, reduced wine and oil to taste, when commencing to boil bind with roux.’ (Marcus Gabius Apicius)
Serves 8
1.8 kg (4 lb) squid
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
120 ml (4 fl oz) dry white wine
1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary needles
1 tbsp finely chopped rue, if available
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 tbsp clear honey
500 ml (16 fl oz) (scant measure) fish stock (see here)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp flour
The best squid to buy for this dish are those caught around the Cornish coast; they are large and very tasty and they need the lengthy cooking that makes this recipe so perfect.
Ask your fishmonger to clean and skin the squid. If he is not prepared to do so (I feel that in that case I should advise you to find another fishmonger), proceed as follows. Hold the sac in one hand and pull of the tentacles with the other hand. All the contents of the sac will come out too. Cut the tentacles above the eyes. Squeeze out the small bony beak in the centre of the tentacles. Peel off the mottled skin from the sac and the flaps. Remove the transparent backbone from inside the sac and rinse the sac and tentacles thoroughly under running water. Drain in a colander and then dry with kitchen paper. Cut the sacs into 1 cm (1/2 inch) strips and the tentacles into small pieces. The squid are now ready for cooking.
Choose a large heavy sauté pan or, better still, a large earthenware pot. The squid should cook spread out, rather than piled up. Heat the oil, add the squid and sauté gently for 5 minutes. When the squid have released their liquid, turn the heat up to evaporate and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently. Splash with the wine and let it bubble away for a couple of minutes.
Now turn the heat down and mix in the chopped herbs, the garlic and the honey. Cover with the fish stock and bring to the boil. Taste for salt and add some if necessary. (Fish stock is sometimes already salted.) Season with plenty of pepper. Put the lid firmly on the pan or cover with foil tied under the rim of the pan. The squid must cook tightly covered so that the steam is kept in. They must also cook over the gentlest heat. I use a flame disperser. They should be ready in 40–50 minutes, depending on their size. Test for doneness by pricking the squid with a fork; it should offer no resistance to the prongs.
Scoop out the squid, place on a heated serving dish and keep warm, covered with foil. Put the flour in a small bowl and add a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid to make a paste. Blend the paste into the pan and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Check the seasonings. Pour the sauce over the squid and serve with plenty of crusty bread. The dish can be served hot, though not too hot, but it is also excellent at room temperature.
preparation
The dish can be prepared totally up to 1 day in advance and chilled in a covered container. Do not serve straight from the fridge.