Squid Stuffed With Fennel Risotto

Squid tubes stuffed with a risotto made with fennel, onion, and white wine and then simmered in a tomato and red wine sauce. Adapted from The Essential Rice Cookbook (published by Borders). Delicious!

• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 16 squids

Ingredients

• 16  squid, tubes skinned, with entrails removed
• 1  garlic clove
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 16  ounces diced tomatoes
• 100  ml red wine
• 2  tablespoons  chopped parsley
• 100  ml olive oil
• 1  shallot
• 1  fennel bulb
• 2  garlic cloves
• 1⁄3 cup arborio rice
• 150  ml white wine
• 3  tablespoons  chopped parsley

Directions

1. Coarsely chop the shallot and fennel bulb. Place into a food processor along with the two garlic cloves. Run processor until very finely chopped.
2. Chop or press the remaining garlic clove and gently fry in 1 tbsp olive oil. Add can of tomatoes and cook until liquid is almost gone. Add red wine and 2 tbsp chopped parsley and cook until reduced.
3. Meanwhile, gently fry the chopped shallot, fennel, and garlic in 100 mL of olive oil for 10 minutes. Do not brown. Add rice and cook several minutes, mixing to ensure that rice is coated with oil. Add white wine and 6 tbsp of the tomato sauce.
4. Cook until liquid is mostly absorbed, then add 1/2 cup water. Cook until rice is tender. Add further small amounts of water if necessary. Remove from heat and add 3 tbsp chopped parsley. Gently stuff into squid tubes, using toothpicks to secure once stuffed.
5. Simmer gently in tomato sauce in a covered non-stick pan for 30-45 minutes. Squids are done when flesh is tender but not yet rubbery. Do not stir. Flip once at about 20 minutes.