Yield: 4
Time: 15 min prep / 40 min cook
A one-pan dish in the Spanish tradition. Squid rings and tentacles are seared, then braised with baby potatoes in a pimentón and tomato sauce. Chorizo is used sparingly — its rendered fat becomes the cooking medium, doing the work that a larger quantity of meat would do elsewhere.
Ingredients:
- 1¼ lb (600 g) squid, cleaned — bodies sliced into rings, tentacles kept whole
- 3½ oz (100 g) Spanish chorizo, semi-cured, sliced into rounds
- 1 lb 2 oz (500 g) baby potatoes, scrubbed but unpeeled
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp smoked sweet pimentón
- ½ tsp hot pimentón
- 5 fl oz (150 ml) dry white wine
- 7 oz (200 g) crushed tomatoes
- 9 fl oz (250 ml) fish or vegetable stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- salt and black pepper
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
Preparation:
Pat the squid dry. Moisture on the surface will cause it to steam rather than colour. Season with salt and pepper.
Render the chorizo. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pan or cazuela over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook for 2–3 minutes until the fat runs and the rounds take on some colour. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the oil in the pan.
Sear the squid. Raise the heat to high. Add the squid in a single layer — work in batches if the pan is crowded — and cook for 1–2 minutes per side until coloured. Remove and set aside with the chorizo.
Cook the onion. Reduce the heat to medium-low. In the same pan, cook the onion for 8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
Add the pimentón. Pull the pan off the heat, stir in the sweet and hot pimentón, then return to medium heat and stir for 30 seconds. Doing this off the heat keeps the paprika from scorching.
Deglaze. Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes, scraping the base of the pan. Add the crushed tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, and potatoes. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a low simmer.
Simmer the potatoes. Cover and cook for 18–20 minutes until the potatoes give when pressed with a knife. Add a splash of stock if the sauce tightens too much.
Return the squid and chorizo. Add both back to the pan. Cook uncovered over low heat for 5–7 minutes, until everything is warmed through. The squid toughens quickly, so do not push it further.
Serve. Remove the bay leaves and adjust the seasoning. Scatter the parsley over the top and bring the pan to the table with lemon wedges. Bread for the sauce is not optional.
