Preparing a simple but tasty Calamari dish

Recently at Taste of Sydney, EFTM had the opportunity to cook alongside the head chef at Mercado, Nathan Sasi. Thanks to Electrolux, we learned a few tips on preparing food and absolutely loved the meal we prepared together. Below is the recipe and we promise that if it was achievable in our hands, it can be made by anyone!

We were on chilli and garlic duty

Ingredients you’ll need

• 1kg uncleaned calamari
• 20g jamon cut into pieces
• 1 garlic clove finely chopped – quick tip here – garlic press or chop the clove using the blunt side of the knife
• 1 red chilli finely chopped
• 6 cherry tomatoes cut into quarters
• 1 tspn squid ink
• 60ml fish stock
• 1 tbspn fish sauce
• 1⁄2 lime juice
• 1⁄4 bunch coriander picked and washed

What to do with it

1. Start by cleaning the calamari
2. Remove the tentacles and set aside
3. Remove the beak and with a knife cut open the tub of calamari
4. Clean the innards with a dry paper towel and discard.
5. Remove the first layer of sinew on the inside and outside of the calamari.
6. Cut into 5cm long strips

If all the above sounds too hard, speak to your local seafood store and see how much of it they can do for you! Now start…

1. In a bowl combine all the ingredients except the sauce
2. Heat a small fry pan with 60ml of olive oil until just until smoking hot
3. Add the bowl of calamari mixture and stir quickly to cook all the ingredients being careful not to over cook
4. Add all the items for the sauce and stir to combine
5. Taste and check for a balance of seasoning
6. Place into a bowl and garnish with the coriander leaves, we also added a few drops of fresh olive oil

That’s it! It’s really really delicious, makes a great starter or light meal. We love that you can cook for ten people in the one hit if you like, just add more ingredients!