What’s that, you ask?
You want the recipe for my famous Lou’s Squid Stew?
I guess I can give it to you since I just made some and the recipe is fresh in my mind. Of course, you realize that this is the first time I’ve actually made this squid stew — which raises two questions: How did it become famous so fast and how did you hear about it?
While you ponder those thought-provoking questions, here’s what I did:
I thawed out five cups of homemade shrimp stock and heated that up in my big pot. While it was simmering I put in a pound of squid rings and tentacles, along with a tin of mackerel in olive oil and a tin of diced clams. Then I added a half-pound of wild, sockeye salmon that I had taken the skin off of and chopped up. And don’t forget the 2-ounce tin of chopped anchovies. Umami baby!
I also added a 28-ounce tin of diced tomatoes and four tablespoons of Cosmo’s Hot Chopped Peppers for a touch of spiciness.
Then some kosher salt and fresh ground pepper also joined the party.
I let this aromatic concoction simmer for 45 minutes, not letting it boil. This helps keep the squid tender.
Meanwhile, I had 2 cups of short-grain rice sitting in hot water, which I rinsed three times. After 45 minutes I added the rice and let this simmer for another 30 minutes.
The resulting stew was heavenly. I swear we were eating it while sitting in an outdoor cafe on a Greek island.
I hope this helps explain why it became famous so fast.
—LOU
You forgot something in that stew … the kitchen sink!
I haven’t cooked squid since my friend’s son was out on a charter fishing boat and brought home a huge amount that I was supposed to cook on a lousy vacation house grill. We had to clean them, too. It was a mess and the grill was not hot enough to sear them properly. Not a success.
I just order squid fried at a restaurant for now.
— LUCY