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Txipirones en su tinta
Txipirones en su tinta: Basque baby squid stuffed with their tentacles in a glossy black ink sauce
Along the Basque coast from Getaria to Hondarribia, little squid caught on hand lines in late summer are stuffed with their own tentacles and stewed in a sauce made inky black with their ink. In bars and homes it is served with plain white rice or fried bread to soak up the sauce. Cleaning the squid takes a little patience, but the stew itself is simple. A common mistake is browning the onions: they should stay soft and sweet, or the sauce tastes harsh. Chef's tip: buy extra ink sachets from the fishmonger, as the ink in small squid is rarely enough for a deep colour.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the squid
For the sauce
To serve
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (3)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Clean each of the 1 ¾ lb small squid, about 10 cm long: pull the head away from the body, and keep the little ink sac if it is intact. Pull out the clear quill, rinse the body inside and out and peel off the skin. Cut the tentacles off just in front of the eyes, discard the beak and chop the tentacles finely.
25 minStep 2: Stuff the chopped tentacles into the bodies and close each opening with a cocktail stick. Season with 1 tsp salt.
8 minStep 3: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat and sear the squid for 1 minute a side until they firm up and turn white. Set aside.
3 minStep 4: Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a pot over a low heat and cook 3 onions, 1 green Italian pepper and 2 cloves garlic for 25 minutes, stirring, until very soft and pale, without browning.
25 minStep 5: Add 1 ripe tomato and cook 5 minutes. Pour in the 1 ¼ cups fish stock or water, then mix the ¼ oz squid ink (and any ink from the sacs) with a little of the liquid and stir it in. Simmer 5 minutes and blend until smooth.
10 minStep 6: Add the squid to the sauce and simmer gently, partly covered, for 25–30 minutes, until a knife slides easily into them and the sauce is glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon. Serve with white rice.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does txipirones en su tinta take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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