Spinach, Ricotta and Walnut Stuffed Calamari

Instructions

CALAMARI: 

1. To clean the calamari, slice the tentacles off, just above the eyes. 
2. Holding the body, pull out the head, clear skeleton, intestines and inc sac, and discard.
3. Remove the pinkish skin from the outside of the tubes. Turn the calamari tubes inside out, and rinse the insides well. 
4. Place the tubes and tentacles in a bowl, cover with milk and soak for about 2 hours. The lactic acid will help tenderise the muscle fibres and will prevent the calamari from being rubbery and chewy. 

STUFFING:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
2. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large heavy-based frying pan on a low heat. Add the finely diced onions and gently sweat them until they are soft. 
3. Add the garlic and gently cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the pan and set aside half  of the mixture for the tomato sauce. 
4. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and turn up to a medium heat. Add the washed spinach and cook for about 1-2 minutes until it has wilted and softened completely. Remove from the pan, squeeze out any excess liquid and finely chop.
5. Place the walnuts in a baking tray and roast for 5-10 minutes until they are smelling nutty and turning slightly golden. Roughly chop.
6. Place half the garlic and onion mixture, the spinach, ricotta, walnuts, peppadews, parsley, lemon juice and lemon zest into a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and taste. Once you are happy with the flavour, stir through a little beaten egg to bind the mixture. Allow to cool completely, then place into a piping bag.
7. Rinse the calamari well and pat dry. 
8. Pipe the stuffing into the calamari tubes. Don’t overfill them, as the stuffing will expand when cooking and could cause the tubes to burst. Secure each end with a toothpick. Place the stuffed calamari snuggly in a baking dish.

TOMATO SAUCE: 

1. To blanch your tomatoes, place a pot of water on to boil. Cut a cross in the skin at the base of each tomato. Get a bowl of ice cold water ready.
2. Place the tomatoes in the boiling water for 15-30 seconds, depending on how ripe they are. If they are very ripe, the skins will detach very quickly. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in the ice water to stop the cooking process. The skins should slide off easily. 
3. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds. Cut into medium dice. 
4. Add the reserved fried onions and garlic into a heavy-based frying pan. Turn to a medium heat, and add the tomatoes. Add the white wine and bring to the boil. Turn down and let the sauce simmer until the raw wine taste has cooked off and the tomatoes have broken down into thick sauce. You may need to add a little water as the sauce cooks. 
5. Add a pinch of sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice to the sauce. The sugar helps to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Reserve some of the basil leaves for garnish. Roughly tear the rest of the basil leaves and stir through the sauce. Taste and adjust accordingly.
7. Pour the tomato sauce over the calamari and place them straight in the oven*. Cook for approximately 30 minutes, until the calamari are cooked and the sauce is bubbling.

TO SERVE: 

1. Heat the oil in a small pot to 170°C-180°C. 
2. Mix the flour with the cayenne pepper, and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 
3. Dust the calamari tentacles in the seasoned flour, and fry till golden and crispy. 
4. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. 
5. Remove the toothpicks from the stuffed calamari and place them on an attractive platter. Pour over the sauce. 
6. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and the crispy calamari tentacles.