Chipirones con Patatas
Whilst ‘calamar’ is the most common word for squid on a Spanish menu, you’ll sometimes see ‘chipirones’ which refers to baby squid or small cuttlefish. In Andalucía, this baby squid is usually battered and quickly deep-fried to make a delicious seafood tapa. In many homes around Spain baby squid has long been a godsend to the frugal cook as it can be combined with potatoes in this recipe to produce a cheap, tasty and filling stew for all the family.
Ingredients
Serves 4 people
- 600g squid cut into rings or bite sized chunks
- 1kg of potatoes weighed before peeling or approximately 800g after peeling
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 medium red pepper, diced
- 1 medium green pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 150ml white wine
- 350ml Fish Stock – you can use shop bought stock or make your own
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Cooking Method
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a frying pan and fry the squid over a medium heat for about 2 minutes to brown it on all sides. Remove it from the frying pan and set aside along with any liquid that came out of it.
Add the rest of the oil and fry the diced onions and red and green peppers over a medium heat for about 10 minutes till they start going soft. Add the thinly sliced garlic and cook for a further 2 or 3 minutes.
Next add the white wine and boil for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, fish stock and salt and bring this to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until the potatoes are well cooked.
Add the squid and check to see if more salt is required. Add some freshly ground black pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Serve with crusty bread.
