I have always loved calamari, but I was a little daunted by cooking them. The problem is that if you overcook them they can get rubbery. My father has been know to soak his in cola for a couple of hours and then rinsing before cooking. He swears that the acids in the cola break down the fibers before the fish is cooked, thus avoiding the rubber band experience. I have eaten his version and it's very good, but it's a lot of bother I find that if you just cook this for a couple of minutes you are fine, thus avoiding the need to plan days in advance for a simple dinner.
2 red and 2 yellow peppers 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 4 Calamari tubes (preferably cleaned by someone else), about 600 g total weight 4 Cloves garlic, crushed 2 teaspoons dry sherry 1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste 1 teaspoon lite cream cheese 1/4 cup skim milk 2/3 cup of crab meat 1/3 cup breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon chopped basil
Method
Place the red and yellow peppers on a baking sheet under the grill until the skins are black and charred. Put the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, allow to cool slightly. When the peppers are cooled, remove the skins. Puree the red peppers in a blender and the push through a fine sieve to remove the seeds and most of the pulp. Repeat with the yellow peppers. Cook one clove of garlic in a non stick fry pan (use a little non stick spray if necessary) over medium heat and cook until transparent. Add one teaspoon on sherry and cook until absorbed by the garlic. Add the yellow pepper puree and heat until just thickened, set aside. Cook one clove of garlic in a non stick fry pan (use a little non stick spray if necessary) over medium heat and cook until transparent. Add the hot sauce, balsamic and red pepper puree and heat until just thickened, set aside. Cook two cloves of garlic in a non stick fry pan (use a little non stick spray if necessary) over medium heat and cook until transparent. Add the remaining teaspoon of sherry and the tomato paste, you made need to add a tablespoon of two of water if the mixture gets too thick. Remove from the heat and add the cream cheese, skim milk, crab, breadcrumbs and basil. Fill the calamari tubes with the stuffing, don't over stuff because they will shrink when they cook. Close the open ends with a toothpick. Cook the calamari in a non stick fry-pan until just done, about 5 minutes. Serve the calamari sliced with a small amount of the red and yellow pepper sauces. Per Serve
