Squid Stuffed With Seafood (and Some Veggies)

I like food challenges, as long as they’re not of the ilk of “Combine Ritz crackers with Marshmallow Fluff and hazelnuts, and show us your dish”, which is what a lot of Chopped seems to be.  Indeed, I like to make sure house guests get foods they’re not allergic to, have religious predilections against, or just simply hate.  It can be a balancing act, with a variety of foods available so no one is displeased, if I’m entertaining a large number — but I find this enjoyable to provide for.  (My own predilection is to keep the junk food [and the stuff any of our grandparents would never have recognized] out, and still make a great meal.)

I’ve joined a group known as Fish Friday Foodies, and they challenge people to monthly seafood meals.  Alas, I’ve been too busy the last several months to participate, but this latest challenge (for November) appealed to me.  Stuffed Seafood is the theme.  See them here at:

An InLinkz Link-up for FishFridayFoodies

Turns out you can stuff the fish, or use the fish to stuff something else.  Or, in my case, I’m going to stuff seafood with seafood.

Stuffed, and served!

My local Stew Leonard’s had squid in their seafood case, whole squid (but cleaned), and those enticing squid tubes that cry out to be stuffed.  Indeed, I’ve done a stuffed squid once before, please do drop in and visit!  You’ll get some squid anatomy lessons there as well…

I could have done something different, but this store doesn’t feature large squid tubes on a regular basis, so… I’m doin’ it!  And no, this recipe won’t remotely taste the same as the other one.

After stuffing three tubes/squid bodies, plenty to go!

Prep time: Mostly during the sweet potato roasting time – about 20 minutes.
Cook time: Sweet potato for 45 minutes, pan fry for about 5 minutes, stuffed squid 35 minutes.
Rest time: Not necessary.
Serves:  Two squid per person.

Squid Stuffed With Crabmeat, Scallops, Squid, Sweet Potato, Apple, Mushroom

• 1 medium sized sweet potato
• Cooking oil, perhaps a tablespoon.  (I used bacon fat here)
• 6-8 squid tubes, about 4-7 inches in length
• squid tentacles.  
• 2 large button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 4-5 large sea scallops, sliced into chunks
• ounces of lump crabmeat
• 1 apple, cored and diced.  Skin may be kept on.
• 2 scallions/green onions, diced.   Slice the white parts thinner than the green parts, and keep separate.  
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon tarragon
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• A teaspoon of cooking oil (grapeseed or avocado work nicely).

Clean the sweet potato, but you can leave the thin parts of skin on, if you wish.

Slice the sweet potato for quicker roasting, and coat with your choice of a cooking fat or oil.  Wrap in aluminum foil and place in another pan to contain any drips.

Roast the potato at 425 F (218 C) for about 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Mash with a fork, and set aside.

Re-set the oven to 375 F (190 C) and continue prepping.

In a skillet with a little oil, cook the scallion whites and the mushrooms until the mushrooms are soft.

Clean the squid as needed… see my earlier blog post, Stuffed Squid with Onions, Mushrooms, Spinach, Baked with Tomato Sauce, for tips and techniques.  Chop up the tentacles (they only gave me two sets of tentacles) and the squid “fins”.

In a bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, tentacles, fins, mushrooms, scallops, apple, scallions and spices.  Mix with a large spoon or with your hands.  Add in the lump crab meat towards the end of mixing, so you don’t break up the lumps.

Stuff the squid tubes, using a small spoon and fingers.  Make sure the stuffing goes to the end of the tube.  Don’t overstuff…  squid will shrink upon cooking.  However, none of these stuffing ingredients will expand, so don’t worry too much.

Place on lightly-oiled baking pan, lightly oiling (paper towel is useful) the tubes themselves all around.

Bake for 35 minutes.

Serving Suggestions:

• Plan on two per person, especially if the squid bodies / tubes start as 6-7 inches.  Perhaps serve with a fruit salad or a tossed leafy green salad with vinaigrette.
• If the squid are small, consider serving them as appetizers for company.  (Or, for yourselves!)
• Leftover stuffing?  I added some of this plus Provolone cheese to my omelet the next morning!

 An InLinkz Link-up for FishFridayFoodie

 Fiesta Friday is co-hosted this week by Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju.com and Liz @ Spades, Spatulas and Spoons