Cari's Calamari Ripeni

Seafood and shellfish are some of my favourite ingredients and lately with all the red meat I've been getting my hands on I figures I was about to have a cow-comma soon if I didn't introduce a change to my diet in the near future. So I racked my brain for a recipe the would be appropriate before setting out to get all my ingredients. I reminisced Cari's Calamari Ripeni fondly, oh... what an earth-shattering meal it had been, etched in my memory forever! In fact I featured it on this blog about two months ago. Anyhow, I managed to get her special recipe and my mum and sister decided to take me Spar, the brand new hyper-market located on Banerghatta Road, equipped with a seafood purveyor, meat and chicken purveyor, frozen food section, counters for pickles, jams and jellies and a deli section for imported cheeses, cold-cuts, salumi etc.

Indeed, I was impressed, almost, but one vital ingredient was unavailable, the fennel. And in fact I had to wait for three whole weeks to go by before I spotted a bulb of fennel at my local food world store, and boy did I jump on it, grabbed it, took him home like a trophy, washed him and said, its finally time to have the meal I have been waiting patiently to prepare.

Although the recipe called for four squids, skin removed, cleaned but tentacles intact, I bought a couple extra.

My all important bulb of fennel, rosemary, pancetta and bottle of red wine, I was all ready to make magic.

Into the pan: chopped fennel, onions, pancetta and garlic

In a mixing bowl, fresh breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and pepper

Stuff the squid tubes with the breadcrumb mixture, but careful not to put too much in as the mixture expands when you cook it.
Heat a pan with olive oil and add to anchovy fillets to it allowing it to beak down completely.

Add the squid to the pan and allow it to brown evenly.

Once evenly browned add the tinned chunky tomatoes and the red wine to bubble around the quid for about 15 minutes before putting the entire thing in a slow-oven for about 45 minutes.

In all my excitement, once the dish was ready, I plated it up and served it to my friends and family forgetting one vital last thing. The final pretty picture of the presentation on the plate. Damn! I was waiting to see the expression on their faces, anticipating whether they would fall in love with the dish as I had when Cari had made it for me...

Spar Hypermarket,
# 39/4 & 44, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore 560076,

Tel: 406 18512