Stuffed squid (calamari) filled with brown rice and Spanish chorizo sausage before being baked in a simple yet delicious tomato sauce.
Cooking this dish takes around an hour and a half, but it is pretty simple with the trickiest part being getting the stuffing into the calamari tubes.
Chorizo and Rice Stuffed Calamari
Squid is often thought of as a bit of a "mysterious" ingredient to many home cooks, particularly here in the UK.
However, it is a fantastic ingredient, it is pretty widely available, and it is incredibly versatile!
Of course, I have a recipe for fried breaded calamari rings on my website. However, you will also find more esoteric recipes, like my salt and pepper squid, a spicy squid stir fry and a delicious Indian-inspired squid curry.
My latest offering is stuffed squid, filled with Spanish chorizo, sun-dried tomatoes and brown rice, baked in a thick tomato sauce.
A tomato sauce that uses up the rest of the stuffing mix and a bit of sherry vinegar.
It tastes fantastic, and whilst filling the squid tubes can be a little fiddly, there are no difficult chef's skills required, especially if you buy frozen prepared squid!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen squid?
Please do, cleaned and prepared squid is so much easier to deal with.
Try and get squid that is individually quick frozen (IQF), and tubes with tentacles if possible. They add a lot to the filling for this recipe.
What size squid should I use?
This recipe is prepared using squid tubes that are size 11-20. You can use bigger squid, but you will need to experiment with the cooking time.
Is there a secret to stuffing the squid?
No, sorry, it is all about being patient and choosing the larger squid from the pack. I use a teaspoon (as you can see in the video below the recipe).
It is fiddly, but once you get a roll on and a technique, you will speed up.
Can I use white rice?
Yes, naturally white rice cooks quicker and does not have the same "nutty" flavour.
What sort of chorizo should I use?
You can use pretty much any cured chorizo. I love the spicy stuff, but you should use your favourite!
A NOTE FOR US READERS: This recipe uses Spanish chorizo, and it should not be substituted for Mexican chorizo.
Can I make this in advance?
I would not cook and reheat the squid, but you can make the filling a few days in advance and store it in the fridge.
If you are doing this, do not add the tentacles until you are ready to stuff the tubes.
Serving Suggestions
I've served my stuffed squid in some toasted focaccia bread in the pictures on this page. I brush it with a little olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and whack it on a fiercely hot griddle pan.
Add a little lambs lettuce or even a nicely dressed green salad on the side, and you have a fantastic light meal.
If you want something a little more substantial, then I would recommend some spuds. Something like my crispy fried potatoes or some Parmentier potatoes would work perfectly.
When it comes to greens, I would probably opt for some roasted tenderstem broccoli. You can chuck it in the oven for the final 10-12 minutes, and dinner is ready!
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 17cm or 7" saucepan.
- 25cm or 10" frying pan.
- 25cm x 15cm (10" x 6") baking dish.
- Chopping board.
- Kicthen knife.
- Toothpicks and a skewer.
- Mixing bowl.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Brown Rice and Chorizo Stuffed Squid Recipe Baked in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 Small Baby Squid Tubes 300g Total (with tentacles)
- 75 g Brown Rice ½ Cup
- Salt For boiling the rice
- 75 g Spanish Chorizo Sausage 2½oz
- 50 g Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Oil ¼ Cup
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil Use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes
- 4 Spring Onions
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 200 g Tomato Passata ¾ Cup
- 2 teaspoon Sherry Vinegar
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1½ tablespoon Olive Oil Again, use the stuff from the sun-dried tomatoes.
- 1 Pinch Coarse Sea Salt
Instructions
- Bring a 17cm (7") pan of salted water, I use 1 teaspoon of salt in a pan this size, to a boil. Then add the brown rice and cook as per the packet instructions.It will likely take around 25 minutes.
- Whilst the rice is cooking, cut the chorizo sausage into a 5mm (just under ½") dice.
- Cut the sun-dried tomatoes into a dice roughly the same size as the chorizo.
- Heat a 25cm (10") frying pan over a low heat, and add the 1 teaspoon of olive oil and chorizo sausage. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.You are not aiming to colour or cook the sausages through, you want to render out some of the fat.
- After the chorizo has had 10 minutes, add the sundried tomatoes and cook until the rice is ready to be drained. This should only be a few minutes.Again, stirring occasionally.
- Finely chop the spring onions.
- When the rice is cooked, drain it and add it to the pan with the chorizo sausage, and throw in the spring onions and smoked paprika.Stir to combine, have a taste, add salt if required, remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. This is the perfect time to prepare the squid.
- If you have the tentacles for the squid, chop them into a 5mm dice, and after the rice mix has cooled for 10 minutes, stir the tentacles through the rice.
- Pierce the tip of each squid tube with a skewer.
- Fill the squid tubes with the rice filling.Yes, it is fiddly, especially if your squid tubes are very small.
- Seal the ends with a couple of toothpicks to help prevent the filling from spilling out.
- Bash the garlic cloves with the side of a knife. Don't hit them too hard; you just want to crack them a little, and they will be removed before serving.
- Pour the tomato passata and sherry vinegar into a 25cm x 15cm (10" x 6") baking dish and add the bashed garlic cloves and the leftover stuffing.Stir to combine.
- Add the squid tubes, drizzle over the 1½ tablespoons of olive oil and the coarse sea salt.
- Cover the bowl with tin foil and bake for 25 minutes at 180°C or 350°F.
- Remove the toothpicks and garlic cloves before serving.