Fish, South and mountains
Stuffed squid Sète style with rice
Stuffed squid Sète style is a simmered seafood dish for 4, ready in 75 minutes, medium difficulty, around €4.60 per person. The key to success is filling the squid only two thirds full so they don't burst, then letting them simmer gently so the flesh stays tender rather than rubbery.
Tonight we're heading to the port of Sète with plump squid, stuffed and simmered in their own tomato sauce, plus rice to soak up every drop.
- Total time
- 1 h 15
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Cost per person
- €4.60
- Calories per person
- 620 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
- Season
- Spring, Summer, Fall
- The kids
- They generally like it
Stuffed squid Sète style takes its name from the fishing port where it has long been made, with a filling of sausage meat, garlic and parsley simmered in a tomato sauce brightened with white wine. The squid stays tender as long as the heat stays low, and the sauce slowly thickens as it picks up the briny flavor from the squid. Plain rice is there to catch every last spoonful of sauce.
This is a dish for a Sunday or any meal when you have time on your hands, since it needs a good three quarters of an hour without rushing. Kids generally like the filling and the tomato sauce, though you might want to cut the squid into pieces for younger eaters. Mon Chou suggests this Southern French dish as a change from grilled fish, with the comfort of a real family simmer.
The ingredients
Fish counter
- medium squid, cleaned 8
Butcher
- sausage meat 300 g
Fruits and vegetables
- parsley 1 sprigs
- garlic 3 cloves
- onion 1
Pantry
- crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 800 g
- dry white wineoften in the pantry 10 cl
- olive oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
- thymeoften in the pantry 1 tsp
- riceoften in the pantry 300 g
- saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
- pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch
Allergens Mollusks
The step by step recipe
-
Finely chop the parsley and one garlic clove, mix them into the sausage meat and stuff the squid two thirds full, then close them with a toothpick.
Use a small spoon or a piping bag, you'll work twice as fast as with your fingers.
-
Brown the squid in a Dutch oven with the olive oil, then set them aside. 8 min
Pat them dry well before adding them, otherwise they release water and won't brown.
-
Cook the sliced onion and remaining garlic until softened, deglaze with the white wine and let it reduce by half.
Scrape the bottom of the pot well, the browned bits give the sauce all its depth.
-
Add the tomatoes and thyme, return the squid to the pot, cover and let simmer over low heat. 45 min
The sauce should barely bubble, too high a heat makes the squid rubbery.
-
Cook the rice in salted water, drain it and serve it with the squid topped with sauce, making sure to remove the toothpicks. 11 min
Count the toothpicks before and after, it's the best way to avoid finding one in a plate.
Our tips to get it right
- Pick squid that are medium and similarly sized, they'll cook evenly and be easier to stuff with a spoon.
- Let the sauce reduce uncovered for the last ten minutes if it looks too thin, canned tomatoes sometimes release a lot of water.
- Stuff the squid the day before and keep them in the fridge, the next day's simmer will be quicker and simpler to start.
The variations
- Swap the sausage meat for chicken sausage meat, the filling will taste a bit lighter but stay just as moist.
- For a version without shellfish, stuff bell peppers or round zucchini with the same filling and simmer them in the same tomato sauce.
- To move faster with hungry kids, slice the cooked squid into rings and serve the crumbled filling in the sauce, skipping the stuffing step entirely.
What to serve it with
- A chilled glass of dry white wine
- A sharply dressed green salad
- Bread to mop up the sauce
Storage
Stuffed squid keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container. You can freeze it in its sauce for up to 2 months. Reheat gently in a pan or saucepan over low heat so the squid doesn't toughen.
Questions about this dish
Can you use something other than sausage meat?
Yes, you can use chicken sausage meat or a mix of ground pork with a bit of bacon. The key is keeping the filling fatty enough to stay moist after simmering.
Why shouldn't you overfill the squid?
The filling swells as it cooks while the squid shrinks slightly in the heat. If you fill them all the way, they're likely to split and lose their stuffing into the sauce.
Can this dish be made ahead?
Yes, you can stuff the squid the day before and keep them in the fridge. You can also cook the whole dish ahead of time, it only gets better reheated the next day.
How do you keep the squid from turning rubbery?
The secret is a low simmer the whole time, with barely a bubble breaking the surface. Cooking too hard or too long will inevitably make the squid firm and elastic.
How long does it take to make stuffed squid Sète style with rice?
Count 1 h 15 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.
How many calories are in stuffed squid Sète style with rice?
About 620 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.
How much does stuffed squid Sète style with rice cost?
About €4.60 per serving, or €18.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.
What allergens does this recipe contain?
This recipe contains mollusks. Always check the labels of the products you buy.
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