Modifications
Instead of using cuttlefish, I used pre-cleaned squid -- partly because Seafood Counter Guy at Whole Foods had never heard of cuttlefish and partly because I saw some pictures of not-cleaned cuttlefish (ink sac and innards and all) and I got REALLY scared.
I also substituted the fish head stock with chicken broth and a dash of Japanese dashi since I was scared of dealing with fish heads (yes, I know, I'm Chinese - how could I be afraid of some fish heads?)
Finally, instead of cleaning out 4 fresh artichokes, I bought canned artichokes.
Over all, this dish was a success! It met the HAF - Husband Approval Factor (actually, my husband's quite a foodie, so this means something. :) The allioli totally made the dish - the pungent raw garlicky essence on the rice really created a zing that made this dish incredible.
Thanks Olga!
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 4 Artichokes
- 12 Mushrooms (Baby Bellas)
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 glass of white wine
- 3/4 lb cuttlefish
- Sofregit (click here for recipe)
- 300 gr (2 cups) Short grain rice
- Fish stock (use 1 ½ cup of liquid per ½ cup of rice)
- Saffron threads
- Allioli (click here for recipe)
I guess they didn't look too bad. At least they were clean, and quite easy to chop.
1) Add 1-2 T of olive oil in a pan and saute the squid.
2) Add a bay leaf, artichokes, and mushroom.
3) Saute until the artichokes turn golden brown. (since my artichokes came from a can and were already sort of yellow, I just sauteed until the veggies softened a bit ~ 5 minutes)
4) Add a splash of white wine so that all the solids in the pan get mixed together
5) Add 2-3 tablespoons of sofregit and mix to make sure everything gets impregnated with the sofregit. (I ended up dumping ALL the sofregit that I had made into the pan - it still turned out great!)
3) Saute until the artichokes turn golden brown. (since my artichokes came from a can and were already sort of yellow, I just sauteed until the veggies softened a bit ~ 5 minutes)
4) Add a splash of white wine so that all the solids in the pan get mixed together
5) Add 2-3 tablespoons of sofregit and mix to make sure everything gets impregnated with the sofregit. (I ended up dumping ALL the sofregit that I had made into the pan - it still turned out great!)
6) Add all the liquids (1 cup wine and 6 cups stock) and bring to a boil
7) Add all the rice. Let boil for 5 minutes.
8) Add saffron (I added like 10-20 threads)
9) Bring to a simmer and let cook for 8 minutes or until "al dente"
10) Remove pan from heat and let it rest for another few minutes
Serve with allioli on top.
8) Add saffron (I added like 10-20 threads)
9) Bring to a simmer and let cook for 8 minutes or until "al dente"
10) Remove pan from heat and let it rest for another few minutes
Serve with allioli on top.
YUM. i wonder if i have the patience to make this, with all the different parts....
ReplyDeleteYUM. i wonder if i have the patience to make this, with all the different parts....
ReplyDeletethis looks good. and buying cleaned squid makes a big difference. the uncleaned stuff is a little scary. i bet you'll start making squid at home a lot more now that you've tried it.
ReplyDeleteYum. One suggestion -- maybe for you r recipes you could posted estimated preparation and cooking times.
ReplyDeleteYum! The squid looks terrific. Good job forming the rice into an appetizing mound, mine was more of a pile of food in the middle of the plate.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on a first DC Challenege extremely well done! Your plating is gorgeous, as is the photo of it! It looks mouth watering!
ReplyDeleteLivia - thanks for the suggestion. This dish isn't so bad to make, especially if you have sofregit already made (that's the most time-consuming part, but I guess Catalan people just have it on hand usually?) The rest of the dish takes about 45 minutes to prepare max. I think I spent close to 2 hours when I made it for this challenge, but that's because I messed up on the allioli once, made the sofregit first (serially), etc.
ReplyDeleteWonderful, that is the type of recipe I like! I can smell it from here. Love your blog.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I love your presentation!
ReplyDeleteLooks great, I love the composed presentation!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your first challenge. You've made a fantastic job!!
ReplyDeleteWell done on your first DC challenge. I would have cleaned your whole squid in exchange for the ink. Just saying.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely about the allioli making this one. Great presentation!
ReplyDeleteOooo, sorry if I scared you off my that terrible photo of the squid insides..lol... Well, it was kind of gross and scary so very wise decision to use precleaned squid. I totally love that first photo of yours. What a beautiful presentation and well done on your first challenge too!
ReplyDeleteYour plating is so professional just like your finished recipe. Love all your pixs and I noticed your allioli posting also yours is so white. bravo bravo bravo on a fabulous challenge well done. Cheers from Audax in Australia
ReplyDeleteGood choice on the squid. The waitress in Italy warned me that cuttlefish is a "black" fish. It really was the worst meal in the whole country.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful job!! Your dish looks amazing, and the plating is gorgeous =D.
ReplyDeleteStunning presentation. Glad you enjoyed your first challenge. It was my second challenge and really enjoyed it too.
ReplyDeleteI love your presentation, you have a lot of patience. Lovely work.
ReplyDeleteGood job on the challenge, and GREAT plating!
ReplyDeleteGreat job! Beautifully plated :)
ReplyDeleteHello from Barcelona, Catalonia. You are right, the Catalan people it is easy to cook the sauce. Thanks for this recipe. a pleasure and an honor.
ReplyDelete