Cuttlefish Stuffed with Chouriço and Shrimp
I came across these little frozen baby cuttlefish in my local seafood shop and I was transported back to this amazing dish of choco recheado or stuffed cuttlefish that we had on a sun-drenched terrace in the charming seaside town of Cascais, Portugal (see my post Cascais, Portugal).
The cuttlefish were stuffed, then lightly braised in a rich flavourful tomato sauce.
To try and recreate this dish at home I’ve turned to my trusty copy of Carla Azevedo’s wonderful cookbook Pimentos & Piri Piri, Portuguese Comfort Food and her recipe for Lulas Recheadas, Stuffed squid. The recipe calls for medium-sized squid that are stuffed with chorizo and shrimp then cooked in a tomato sauce.
To recreate this dish at home I’ve turned to my trusty copy of Carla Azevedo’s wonderful cookbook Pimentos & Piri Piri, Portuguese Comfort Food and her recipe for Lulas Recheadas, Stuffed squid. The recipe calls for medium-sized squid that are stuffed with chorizo and shrimp then cooked in a tomato sauce.
For my stuffed cuttlefish, or choco recheado, I’ve uses the same flavours as Carla Azevedo’s recipe, but I’ve substituted the smaller cuttlefish, for the squid, and adapted the amounts of the ingredients used in the stuffing to account for their smaller size.
This is a simple dish with few ingredients, stuffing the cuttlefish is a bit messy, but the result is a delicious seafood main course. As the dish cooks, the flavours from the cuttlefish and their stuffing infuse the tomato sauce, resulting in an incredibly rich flavourful sauce. While simmering in the sauce the natural collagen of the cuttlefish breaks down, leaving you with beautiful fork-tender flesh.
This dish can be made with fresh or frozen squid or cuttlefish. Cleaning squid or cuttlefish can be quite a messy job! If buying fresh squid or cuttlefish be sure to ask your fishmonger to clean them for you to save the time and bother at home. When purchasing frozen, check that they are already cleaned.
Ingredients
- 10 small cuttlefish cleaned
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 onions peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 Chouriço sausage finely diced
- 10 shrimp shelled, deveined and diced
- 1 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce
- 1 cups dry white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley for garnish
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander for garnish
Instructions
To make the filling
- Separate the tentacles from the body of the squid or cuttlefish by cutting them just above the eyes. Remove the black beak from the center of the tentacle and discard. Finely chop the tentacles and set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add 2 tbsp of the olive oil along with the butter and heat until the butter is melted. Add ⅔ of the onion and ½ the minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until evenly browned. About 5-6 minutes. Add the Chouriço and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and tentacles and cook until the shrimp turns pink. Allow to cool.Note: the filling can be prepared ahead of time and stored refrigerated for up to 2 days.
To make the sauce
- Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the remaining onion and garlic to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent but not browned. Add the tomatoes, wine and bay leaves and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by one-third. About 5 minutes.Note: The sauce can be prepared ahead of time and stored refrigerated for up-to 4 days.
To stuff the squid or cuttlefish
- Using a small spoon or by hand, carefully stuff about 2 tablespoons of the filling into each squid or cuttlefish sac. Be careful not to overstuff or the sacs will pop open.Secure the openings with a toothpick and set aside.
To finish the dish
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over med-high heat.Add the prepared squid or cuttlefish and brown on all sides, about 1 minute per side.Add the tomato sauce, cover and bring to a boil. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the squid/cuttlefish is tender and heated through.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and coriander. Serve with crusty bread.