SERVES 4
For me, this is one of the great traditional Basque dishes. The small stuffed squid are braised in a sauce that includes their own ink, which adds dense sea flavors, not to mention an impressive black color. (Packets of squid ink can be bought at many Italian and Asian markets as well as specialist Spanish ones; see Sources, page 345.) Many formal Spanish cooks have a tendency to purée sauces before serving—here I agree that it is necessary. Some Basques add a couple of spoonfuls of tomato sauce to soften the final result. Serve the squid with some pan frito, slices of bread quickly fried in a bit of olive oil, as I learned to do from friends in the Basque Country.
1. Clean the squid. Pull out the head and entrails. Carefully remove the ink sac(s) found beneath the tentacles, and reserve. Trim off the tentacles and reserve. Remove the hard, clear quill from inside of the tubes and any innards that remain. Wash the tubes well and set aside. Finely chop the legs plus four to six of the tubes—use any that are broken first.
2. In a skillet or sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add 2 of the onions and cook until soft and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Mince 1 of the garlic cloves, add it to the pan, and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the chopped squid and cook until the moisture has been expelled and then has evaporated and the pieces begin to brown slightly, about 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into a bowl and let cool.
3. Loosely stuff about 1 tablespoon of the mixture inside each of the remaining tubes. They should not be tightly stuffed nor overstuffed, as the tubes will shrink somewhat when cooking. Secure the end of each with a toothpick.
4. In a cazuela, Dutch oven, large sauté pan, or deep skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat and brown the stuffed squid. Cook, turning as needed, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a platter.
5. In the same pan, add the remaining 2 garlic cloves and cook until golden and aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes; remove and reserve. Add the remaining onion and cook until soft and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the green pepper and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook for 2 minutes to burn off the alcohol and then moisten with ½> cup/120 ml water. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the onion and green pepper are tender. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Pass the sauce through a food mill or chinois, or purée in a blender, and return to the cazuela.
6. Meanwhile, pound the reserved garlic in a mortar or mash with the back of a spoon in a bowl. Loosen the ink with a touch of water and carefully blend it with the garlic into a runny paste. Add to the cazuela. Swirl a bit of water in the mortar to get any remaining traces of the ink. Stir in ½> cup/120 ml water to loosen the sauce.
7. Carefully remove the toothpicks from the squid. (Having constricted slightly in size, they will keep their shape.) Add to the cazuela. Simmer over low heat until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Add in a touch more water if needed. The sauce should still be quite loose. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed.
8. Divide the squid among plates and spoon over the sauce before serving.