The art of preparing a calamari dish

'Calamari in umido' is a very popular Italian dish nationwide. Of course the are many personalized variations of it but here's the basic and easy one! You can use frozen squid just as well. What you need is fresh btomatoes or tomato sauce, red chili and some parsley.

Serve it with toasted fresh bread or with pasta. You choose - depending on the mood of the day!

If you are able to buy fresh calamari, ask them to clean it for you right away. Cleaning squid is an experience though, we suggest that you try at least once :-)

There are a few things to keep in mind while preparing this dish. You should slice the bodies crosswise and make sure the tentacles are free of the beak (feel the center of tentacles – if your feel of a hard spot, it’s the beak. Use a sharp knife to remove it).

There is ONE and only ONE rule in cooking the squid - you must cook it for 3 minutes or 30 minutes because everything in between will make it rubbery! Here is our favourite 30 minute version.

- 3 (or so) tablespoons of olive oil

- 2 peeled garlic cloves

- Red chili pepper flakes

- chopped parsley

- 800 g cleaned squid (bodies and tentacles)

- 400 g of peeled tomatoes in a can

- 1 cup of white wine

- Salt and pepper

- A few slices of crusty bread

• Prepare the calamari by slicing the bodies crosswise into 1/2 inch think rings. Place the rings and tentacles in a colander and rinse well under cold water. Dry well with kitchen paper.

• Crush the garlic with a knife (don't slice it!)

• In a large pan, heat the oil olive over medium-low heat and add the garlic and a pinch of the red chili flakes. Cook until the garlic begins to give off its characteristic aroma but but be careful not to burn.

• Turn the heat to high and add the calamari to the hot oil. Saute for about 2 minutes until the calamari turns from translucent white to bright white. The rings and the tentacles will also curl up.

• Add the white wine and cook until the wine boils off a little.

• Return the heat to medium-low and add the tomatoes. Squeeze and break up the tomatoes with your fingers as your add them.

• Cook the calamari/tomato mixture for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

• Season with salt and pepper as desired. This dish will need salt as calamari are not as salty as you might think.

• Before serving, toast slices of the bread in some olive oil. Cut a garlic clove in half and rub the hot bread. Serve the calamari in a nice bowl with the toasted and seasoned bread!

Buon appetito!

Salla & Ella