Calamari Tangine

We decided to make a Tagine of Baby Calamari with Red Pepper and Tomato from Paula Wolfert’s new cookbook: The Foods of Morocco. Some people find squid kind of yucky to clean. The cephalopods, like squid, have obviously never done Pilates. They doesn’t seem to be any any muscles in them, just the outside, gunk and a sort of clear plastic like spine. I don’t mind cleaning them, but Nate at McCall’s Meat and Fish, said he would clean them for us.

Squid can be rubbery, but these weren’t. Once a cut them into ringlets and we cooked them in the sauce they were delicious. We served them over Cous-Cous from the newly liberated country of Tunis.

We started with a recipe from Nancy Silverton’s new cookbook: The Mozza Cookbook. We love her salads and her Tricolore With Parmigiano-Reggiano And Anchovy Dressing is fantastic. I especially like the Cesar Salad dressing that is made in the food processor. The last time we made the salad, it was a little salty for us, so we did not salt the lettuce like the recipe calls for. It was great!


Tagine of Baby Calamari with Red Pepper and Tomato
The Foods of Morocco
Paula Wolfert

CHARMOULA

  

¾      teaspoon cumin seeds, preferably Moroccan

3       garlic cloves

Sea salt

1       tablespoon saffron water

1       teaspoon ground ginger

½      teaspoon paprika

½      teaspoon ground turmeric

½      teaspoon cayenne

1       tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1      pound baby calamari (l2 pieces), cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces, washed, 

        pressed dry inpaper towels to remove excess moisture, and placed in a bowl and 

        refrigerated until ready to use

2      tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1     cup finely chopped onion

1     cup peeled, cored, and diced red bell pepper

1      pound red-ripe tomatoes, peeled, diced, and drained

2      teaspoons sugar
  Salt

2     Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2     Tablespoons chopped cilantro

Cayenne

To make the charmoula: Toast the cumin seeds (not necessary if they are Moroccan) by tossing them in a hot dry skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute. Pound the cumin seeds, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt to a paste in a mortar. Dilute with the saffron water, then add the spices and olive oil. Toss with the calamari, cover, and refrigerate.

About 1-1/2 hours before serving, set a 10-inch flameware tagine, Spanish cazuela, or heavy-bottomed straight-sided skillet over medium-low heat. Warm the olive oil, then add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped red pepper, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the seasoned calamari, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring, until most of the moisture evaporates.

Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt, half the lemon juice, and half the cilantro and bring to a boil. Lay a sheet of crumpled wet parchment directly over the contents of the pan, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 1 hour, or until the squid are tender (no longer chewy). Transfer the hot tagine to a wooden surface or a folded towel to prevent cracking.

Correct the seasoning as necessary with the remaining lemon juice, salt, and/or cayenne to taste. Scatter the remaining cilantro on top and serve with rice.

Tricolore With Parmigiano-Reggiano And Anchovy Dressing

The Mozza Cookbook

Nancy Silverton Matt Molina

for the dressing

5        anchovy fillets (preferably salt-packed), rinsed and backbones removed if salt-packed

1-1/2       tablespoons red wine vinegar

1       tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

1       large garlic clove, finely chopped

½       teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

¼       teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

½       cup extra-virgin olive oil

for the salad

3       large heads red Belgian endive, or 1 large head radicchio leaves, leaves torn into large pieces

3       large heads frisee

6              cups loosely packed arugula (preferably wild arugula)

Kosher salt

¼ cup + 3       tablespoons

freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

The red, green and white tricolore salad, traditionally composed of radicchio, frisee, and endive, is just one of the many ways that Italians celebrate their flag. I like tricolore salads, but this version, which is tossed in an anchovy-enhanced dressing with lots of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, was my way of sneaking the flavors of a Caesar salad onto the Pizzeria menu without calling it a Caesar. In the rare instance that a Caesar salad is done well, it is one of my favorite salads, but Caesar salad is such a cliché on Italian-American menus—and it's not even Italian; it was invented in Tijuana—I could never have put it on my menu as such.

Serves 4 as a Starter or 2 as a Main Course

To make the dressing, combine the anchovies, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade or the jar of a blender and puree. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube to create an emulsion. Turn off the machine, taste for seasoning, and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice, if desired. Use the dressing or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days. Bring the dressing to room temperature, whisk to recombine the ingredients, and taste again for seasoning before using.

To prepare the salad, discard any brown or unappealing outer leaves from the endive and frisee. Pull the leaves away from the cores, putting them in a large, wide bowl, and discard the cores. Add the arugula, sprinkle with salt, and toss gently to combine the lettuces and distribute the salt evenly. Drizzle 1/2 cup of the dressing, sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and toss gently to coat the lettuce leaves with the dressing. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or dressing, if desired.

Pile the salad on a large plate or divide it among four individual plates. Sprinkle with the remaining 3 tablespoons of the Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve.