Squid with Caramelized Onions

[Jose Andres]

Squid with Caramelized Onions

Serves 4 as Side.

As a young chef working on the Spanish coast during the summer, one of my very favorite meals was the one we would prepare after a long night of partying. We would go to the beach at 6:00am to greet the fishermen as they arrived in their small boats. Those fishermen caught their squid one by one, using an old technique that allowed them to trap the squid without the squid releasing its precious ink. With a pound or two of fresh squid in our hands, we would return to the kitchen, light up the plancha (griddle), and sear the squid while they were still alive, without cleaning them. Today this is still one of my all-time favorite breakfasts.

• 1/4 c Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1 clove garlic, unpeeled
  
• 1 Spanish or Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
  
• 1 bay leaf
  
• salt to taste
  
• 3/4 lb fresh squid, cleaned and cut into small triangles
  
• 2 T dry white wine
  
• 1 tsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
  

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over a medium flame. Split open the garlic clove by placing it on a cutting board and pressing down hard with the base of your hand or with the flat side of a knife. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until it starts to brown, about 2 minutes.

Add the onions and bay leaf, and cook slowly until the onions are light brown, about 10 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and tender (caramelized), about 20 minutes. If the onions start to get too dark, add 1/2 tablespoon of water. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the oil in the pan.

Raise the heat to high and sprinkle a little salt on the oil. Add some of the squid, making sure you don't overcrowd the pan--you need to leave plenty of space between them so the heat remains high and the squid is sauteed, not boiled. Saute for 15 to 20 seconds on each side. Remove the squid from the pan and repeat the process with the remaining squid.

Return all the squid to the pan, add the caramelized onions and stir together. Pour in the wine and boil for around 20 seconds. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Notes:

If the squid are really fresh, which you can find occasionally, they don't need to be cleaned. You'll know they're fresh when they have a nice brilliant dinish and a slightly gray color. The outer skin turns pinkish when the squid is no longer fresh.

From Tapas, published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers. Copyright 2005 by Jose Andres. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Appetizer, Main Dish, Side, Spanish/Portugese, Seafood

( RG1695 )