Serves 4 · Prep 30 min · Cook 40 min
This is a centrepiece dish that's easier than it looks. Tender squid tubes are filled with spiced rice, peppers and herbs, then baked in a rich tomato creole sauce until everything is tender. Slice them at the table to show off the filling.
Ingredients
For the squid
- 1 lb / 450 g Squid Tubes (half a 2 lb pack, about 8 medium tubes), thawed
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp salt
- Toothpicks, for sealing
For the filling
- 1 cup cooked white or parboiled rice, cooled
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- ½ red bell pepper, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp geera (roasted ground cumin)
- 2 tbsp chopped eschallot (scallion)
- 2 tbsp chopped shado beni (culantro) or cilantro
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
For the creole sauce
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 wiri wiri pepper, whole
- 1 can (400 g) crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- Salt, to taste
Method
- Thaw and prep. Thaw the squid tubes in the fridge (0–4 °C) overnight. Rinse inside and out, toss with lime juice and salt, then pat dry.
- Make the filling. Heat the oil and sauté the onion and bell pepper for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, paprika and geera and cook for 1 minute. Take off the heat, then mix in the rice and herbs. Season to taste.
- Stuff. Spoon the filling into each tube until it's about three-quarters full. The squid shrinks as it cooks, so don't overfill. Seal the openings with toothpicks.
- Make the sauce. In an ovenproof pan, sauté the onion and green pepper in oil for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and wiri wiri pepper, then the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and water. Simmer for 5 minutes and season with salt.
- Bake. Nestle the stuffed tubes into the sauce and spoon some sauce over the top. Cover and bake at 180 °C / 350 °F for 25–30 minutes, until the squid is tender.
- Serve. Remove the toothpicks and rest for 5 minutes. Slice a few tubes into thick rounds to show the filling, and serve with the sauce spooned over.
Cook's note: The filling is a good use for leftover cook-up rice. Just add a little extra fresh herb.
