Calamari Stuffed With Olives And Capers Recipes

STUFFED AND GRILLED CALAMARI APPETIZER

Steps:

• For the filling: Saute leeks in olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat until softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add shallot and garlic and saute 3 minutes. Add wine, parsley, vinegar, tarragon, salt, chile flakes and lemon juice and turn heat to high. Cook until reduced 85 percent, 3 to 5 minutes
• Turn heat to medium and add butter. Let melt, then add prawns. Cook, stirring, until just done, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in breadcrumbs to absorb any remaining liquids and remove from heat.
• Transfer to a bowl and chill completely before stuffing calamari.
• For the calamari: Insert a funnel into the open end of a calamari.
• Fill the funnel about halfway with the filling and push it into the calamari, filling it only three-quarters of the way full, to allow for shrinkage as it cooks. Use a toothpick to skewer the tentacles to the opening of the calamari. Repeat with remaining filling and calamari.
• Preheat a grill or saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook the calamari, 2 minutes per side.
• Arrange grilled calamari on a serving dish and serve with warm Roasted Yellow Bell Sauce and sprinkled with Fried Capers.
• Roast pepper on open flame of stovetop burner, turning as outside blackens, until roasted on all sides. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let cool for 5 minutes. Remove outer burnt skin of pepper, cut into quarters and remove stem and seeds.
• Place pepper in a small food processor.
• Steep garlic in hot cream for 2 minutes, then add to processor. Add butter, parsley, shallot, vinegar, salt and lemon juice and process to make a smooth puree.
• Rinse capers with water, then squeeze with hands to express any juices. Drain very well.
• Heat oil to 350 degrees F in a small saucepan over medium heat. Carefully add capers to hot oil and fry until darkened in color and capers have become crispy, approximately 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

MELANZANE RIPIENE CON CAPPERI E OLIVE (STUFFED EGGPLANT WITH CAPERS AND OLIVES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Arrange eggplant halves cut-side up in a baking pan. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tender, about 20 minutes. Cool until easily handled, 5 to 10 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Scoop pulp out of the eggplants using a spoon, leaving skins intact. Chop pulp coarsely and transfer to a bowl. Mix in eggs, Parmesan cheese, capers, and olives. Add 2 tablespoons tomato sauce, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stuff eggplant skins with mixture.
• Spread half of the remaining tomato sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange stuffed eggplants on top. Spoon remaining tomato sauce over each eggplant.
• Bake in the preheated oven until topping is golden brown and tomato sauce is bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes.

CALAMARI WITH TOMATOES, CAPER BERRIES, AND BASIL

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and shallots, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice, wine, water, chile, basil, orange zest, and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer gently until slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, using a kitchen mallet, pound both sides of calamari bodies a few times to tenderize, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch rings. (Leave tentacles whole, or halve if large.)
• Add calamari and caper berries to sauce. Cook until calamari are opaque, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in another skillet. Rub bread with garlic clove. Add clove to oil, and cook 2 minutes. Add bread, and fry, flipping once, until golden and crisp, about 1 1/2 minutes total. Put 1 slice of bread into each serving bowl, and top with calamari and sauce. Season with pepper. Drizzle with oil if desired, and garnish with basil.

CALAMARI STUFFED WITH OLIVES AND CAPERS

Steps:

• 1 Make a small slit at the pointed end of each calamari. Rinse thoroughly, letting the water run through the body sac. Drain and pat dry. Separate the bodies from the tentacles with a knife. Set the bodies aside. Chop the tentacles either with a large knife or in a food processor. 2 Pour the 2 tablespoons oil into a medium skillet. Add the garlic. Cook over medium heat until the garlic begins to turn golden, about 1 minute. Stir in the tentacles. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the bread crumbs, parsley, olives, capers, and oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and let cool. 3 With a small spoon, stuff the bread crumb mixture loosely into the calamari bodies, filling them only halfway. Secure the calamari with wooden toothpicks. 4 Choose a skillet large enough to hold all of the calamari in a single layer. Pour in the 1/4 cup oil and heat over medium heat. Add the calamari and cook, turning them with tongs, until they are just opaque, about 2 minutes per side. 5 Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, crushed red pepper, and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer. Partially cover the pan and cook, turning the calamari occasionally, until they are very tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Add a little water if the sauce becomes too thick. Serve hot. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.