Squid in Cream Sauce
A real workhorse of a recipe — good for a weeknight or a special occasion. It works just as well on an ordinary day as it does for impressing guests with its striking presentation. And of course squid is a treasure trove of good-for-you micro- and macronutrients — but you already knew that.
Cooking method
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Step 1:
Take the frozen peas out of the freezer about fifteen minutes before you start cooking so they can thaw a little.
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Step 2:
Peel and finely chop the onion.
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Step 3:
Wash the celery stalks and finely chop them.
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Step 4:
Melt a pat of butter in a skillet.
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Step 5:
Add the onion and celery. Cook for about five minutes, until the vegetables soften.
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Step 6:
Add the peas to the pan. Stir and simmer, covered, for ten minutes.
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Step 7:
Clean the squid, removing the guts, skin, and the clear quill. I prefer to buy squid already cleaned, but even then it's worth checking for the clear, flexible quill.
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Step 8:
Slit each squid body open lengthwise along one side and open it out flat, inner side up.
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Step 9:
With a sharp knife, score diagonal cuts across the surface, being careful not to cut all the way through. Space the cuts about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) apart.
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Step 10:
Then score a second set of cuts running perpendicular to the first, so the surface ends up with a neat crosshatch pattern.
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Step 11:
Cut the squid into triangles. Thanks to the scoring, the squid will curl up beautifully into little "pinecones" as it cooks.
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Step 12:
Add the squid to the pan, spread the pieces out evenly, and simmer, covered, for just one minute. Timing really matters here, because squid cooks in a flash.
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Step 13:
Wash the fresh parsley and dill and shake them dry. Finely chop. Pour the cream into the pan, add the herbs, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, covered, just until the cream starts to come to a boil, then take it off the heat right away. The dish is ready to serve!
- Squid isn't just an important catch — it's also a plate of delicious, lean meat. It's a blank canvas for experimenting: without much flavor of its own, it pairs well with just about any vegetable or seasoning. For a side, I'd naturally suggest buttered steamed rice. You can even stir separately cooked rice right into the squid in the pan for something like a risotto. Enjoy!
Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish
- Onion - 41 kcal/100g
- Buttermilk - 36 kcal/100g
- Cream of 20% fat content - 300 kcal/100g
- Cream of 10% fat content - 120 kcal/100g
- Cream - 300 kcal/100g
- Fried squid - 175 kcal/100g
- Boiled squid - 110 kcal/100g
- Squid fresh - 74 kcal/100g
- Parsley greens - 45 kcal/100g
- Dill greens - 38 kcal/100g
- Green peas fresh - 280 kcal/100g
- Canned green peas - 55 kcal/100g
- Butter 82% - 734 kcal/100g
- Amateur unsalted butter - 709 kcal/100g
- Unsalted peasant butter - 661 kcal/100g
- Peasant salted butter - 652 kcal/100g
- Melted butter - 869 kcal/100g
- Salt - 0 kcal/100g
- Ground hot pepper - 21 kcal/100g
- Celery stalk - 12 kcal/100g
