Feta and Tomato Stuffed Squid, Oven-Baked
Stuffed squid tubes bake at 180°C for 30 minutes covered plus 10 uncovered. Fill them only three quarters full and pin the end with a toothpick, or the filling escapes. The squid turns out tender precisely because it spends over 30 minutes in steam, not 5.
Instructions
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Thaw
Keep the tubes in the fridge for 8 to 12 hours, in their bag. They are IQF, so take out only the five you need and leave the rest frozen. The 1 kg bag holds 800 g net after glaze, which at U/5 caliber means exactly five tubes, one per serving. No warm water, no microwave.
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Dry and prep
Pat the tubes dry inside and out with paper towels. They come cleaned, with no quill, so there is nothing to remove. If they have wings, chop them finely and add them to the filling instead of discarding.
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The filling
Mix the feta, half the cherry tomatoes, the Panko, olives, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, oregano, pepper and two tablespoons of oil. No salt: feta and olives bring plenty. Panko soaks up the juices released by the tomatoes and squid in the oven, otherwise the filling turns runny.
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Fill, but do not pack
Spoon the filling in up to three quarters of each tube and pin the open end with a toothpick. Squid shrinks by up to a third with heat, and a tube filled to the top splits and spills its filling into the pan.
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Sear, 4 minutes ⏱ 4 min
Heat the remaining oil in a pan and brown the tubes for 2 minutes per side, just until they get golden spots. Do not cook them here, this step is strictly for flavor and color.
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In the oven, 30 minutes covered ⏱ 30 min
Place the tubes in a baking dish, scatter the remaining cherry tomatoes around, pour in the white wine and seal tightly with foil. 180°C, 30 minutes. The foil traps the steam, and steam is what makes squid tender.
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10 more minutes uncovered ⏱ 10 min
Remove the foil, baste the tubes with the pan juices and give them 10 more minutes, so the liquid reduces and the tops brown. Test with the tip of a knife: it should slide in with no resistance.
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Rest and slice
Rest for 5 minutes in the pan, remove the toothpicks, then slice each tube into 2 cm rings so the filling shows. Spoon the pan juices on top and finish with parsley and lemon juice. Just as good warm, and just as good the next day.
Good to know
Squid has two cooking windows and everything in between is rubber. Either under 2 minutes over very high heat, as with fried calamari, or over 30 minutes in moist heat, as here. The 5 to 20 minute zone is exactly what to avoid, and it is where the rubbery reputation comes from. After 40 minutes in wine steam, the collagen in the wall turns to gelatin and the tube goes soft again. The U/5 caliber is why this recipe works: the wall is thick, holds its shape and does not tear when you fill it, and five large tubes plate more beautifully than fifteen small ones. Feta is salty, so taste before adding salt. For a rice version, swap the Panko for 100 g half-cooked rice and add an extra 50 ml of wine to the pan.
Frequently asked questions
How do you cook squid so it is not rubbery?
You have two options and nothing in between. Under 2 minutes over very high heat, fried or grilled, or over 30 minutes in moist heat, baked or braised. Between 5 and 20 minutes the proteins tighten and the flesh turns rubbery, and that is where everyone goes wrong.
How long does stuffed squid stay in the oven?
180°C, 30 minutes covered with foil plus 10 minutes uncovered, so 40 minutes total for extra-jumbo U/5 tubes. Smaller U/10 tubes need 25 plus 10. It is done when the tip of a knife slides into the wall with no resistance.
Do I need to boil squid before stuffing it?
No. Cleaned tubes are stuffed raw, thawed and patted dry. Pre-boiling drains the flavor into the water and shrinks the tube, so the filling no longer fits.
What goes into a squid filling?
The rule is one fatty part, one acidic part and one part that absorbs the juices. Here: feta, cherry tomatoes and Panko. Equally good variations: half-cooked rice with tomatoes, chopped shrimp with parsley and garlic, or breadcrumbs with anchovies and capers.
Ready to cook Seriosly?
Authentic taste isn't improvised, it's taken Seriosly.
Feta and Tomato Stuffed Squid, Oven-Baked
Feta and Tomato Stuffed Squid, Oven-Baked
Stuffed squid tubes bake at 180°C for 30 minutes covered plus 10 uncovered. Fill them only three quarters full and pin the end with a toothpick, or the filling escapes. The squid turns out tender precisely because it spends over 30 minutes in steam, not 5.
Notes
Squid has two cooking windows and everything in between is rubber. Either under 2 minutes over very high heat, as with fried calamari, or over 30 minutes in moist heat, as here. The 5 to 20 minute zone is exactly what to avoid, and it is where the rubbery reputation comes from. After 40 minutes in wine steam, the collagen in the wall turns to gelatin and the tube goes soft again. The U/5 caliber is why this recipe works: the wall is thick, holds its shape and does not tear when you fill it, and five large tubes plate more beautifully than fifteen small ones. Feta is salty, so taste before adding salt. For a rice version, swap the Panko for 100 g half-cooked rice and add an extra 50 ml of wine to the pan.
