I got ambitious enough to try cooking some squid:


1 lbs cleaned whole squid
5 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp basalmic vinegar
2 fresh red chilies, finely chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper

For risotto rice:
2 cups risotto rice
6 cups chicken broth
4 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped onion

To prepare squid, open each body out flat by making a lengthwise cut down the side. Score flesh on both sides with the tip of a knife, and chop up tentacles. Whisk olive oil and basalmic vinegar together, season with salt and pepper, and pour over squid. Marinade for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, for rice, melt butter with olive oil, and saute chopped onions for 3 minutes. Add rice and continue to stir for 2 minutes, then add 2 cups chicken broth. Bring to boil, stirring often. When broth has been absorbed add another cup of broth, and stir while liquid is absorbed. Repeat, adding broth one cup at a time, until all the broth has been absorbed, and rice is cooked and creamy.

To finish squid, heat a pan until hot, and grill each squid body one at a time, holding it flat with a spatula to prevent it from curling from the heat. Grill each side for 2-3 minutes, and cut the cooked body in diagonal strips. Keep warm, and add chopped chilies and tentacles to the pan, cooking on high heat for 2 minutes. Add wine, stir briefly, and drizzle over the chopped bodies on a bed of risotto. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh chopped parsley.


7/10: I didn't buy enough squid, because the recipe I looked at calls for 1 squid per serving, but apparently not all squid are created equal. I think about 1/2 lbs per serving would be good. The roasted asparagus and baby bella mushrooms I served this with was a last minute idea, and turned out well, but the two dishes don't really go that great together. Using a good wine is what saved me: the Finger Lakes region is known for its white wines, so I used a dry local riesling which cost more than the rest of the meal combined, and served the rest of the bottle with the meal. All in all, this was not bad for my first time cooking squid. I think I should be able to get this really good after a few tries.