Greek-Style Stuffed Squid

Make sure not to use squid that have bodies over 7 inches long; 5 to 6 inches is ideal.Do not over-stuff them as the filling expands and the bodies shrink as they are cooked, so they would burst open. Use a pan with a tight-fitting lid to prevent the sauce from evaporating. For best flavor, do not use canned diced tomatoes, as they are inferior to the whole ones (less ripe). From "Jane Brody's Good Seafood Book", 1994.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Squid and Stuffing

• 8  cleaned squid (about 1 1/4 lb,with 5 to 6 inch-long bodies, tentacles chopped)
• 2  teaspoons olive oil
• 1⁄2 cup  finely chopped onion
• 1  cup cooked rice, preferably brown rice, prepared with a little salt
• 1⁄4 cup  toasted pine nuts
• 2  tablespoons currants, soaked in water for 10 minutes and drained
• 1⁄4 cup  finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
•  salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste

• Braising Sauce

• 1  teaspoon olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup  finely chopped onion
• 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 1 (14 ounce) can tomatoes, drained, juice reserved, diced
• 1⁄2 cup dry white wine
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Make sure the squid bodies gave been thoroughly gutted. Rinse them, pat dry, and set aside. Place the chopped tentacles in a dish and set them aside.
2. Prepare the stuffing: Briefly heat the olive oil in a medium-sized skillet, add the onion and garlic, and saute the vegetables 1 minute. Add the chopped tentacles and saute 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat, add all the remaining stuffing ingredients, EXCEPT the squid bodies, stirring to combine thoroughly.
3. Stuff the squid: With your fingers or a very narrow small spoon (like a demitasse spoon), place about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the stuffing into each body, leaving some room in the cavity to allow for shrinkage as the squid cooks. After the stuff has been divided into the squid bodies, secure the opening of each by weaving a toothpick through it horizontally.
4. Prepare the braising sauce: Use a skillet or braising pan with a tight fitting lid that is just large enough to hold all the squid in a single layer. Briefly heat the olive oil, add the onion and garlic, and saute for 1-2 minutes, until the onion is just soft. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer.
5. Braise the squid:
6. Add the stuffed squid to the sauce in a single layer. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat to low, and cover the pan tightly. Gently simmer for 50 minutes to 1 hour (the longer time for larger squid), checking after about 40 minutes to be sure the liquid has not evaporated and adding some wine or water if needed. Serve the squid hot with some of the sauce spooned over them.