Lulas Recheadas

Ingredients

• 1¾ lbsquidcleaned; tubes for stuffing, heads and tentacles finely chopped for the filling
• 2onionfinely chopped, split between filling and sauce
• 3 clovesgarlicchopped
• 4 tbspolive oilfor sautéing filling and sauce
• 14⅛ oztomatoesripe and peeled or canned, chopped; for sauce and partly filling
• 3 tbsptomato pastefor the sauce
• 5¼ ozchorizoPortuguese paprika sausage, skinned and finely chopped, for the filling
• 1bay leaffor the sauce
• 1 bunchparsleychopped, for filling and garnish
• saltto taste
• black pepperto taste
• ¾ cupwineusually white wine, to deglaze the sauce (optional)
• 3½ ozserrano hamfinely chopped, for the filling (optional)
• 1green bell pepperfinely chopped (optional)
• piri pirito taste, for heat (optional)

Method

1. Clean the squidClean the squid, pulling the heads and tentacles away from the tubes. Rinse the tubes thoroughly under cold water, then finely chop the heads and tentacles.
2. Soften the onion and garlicFor the filling, gently cook part of the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until soft and translucent. If you like, add the finely chopped green bell pepper at this point.
3. Simmer the fillingStir in the chopped tentacles, the finely chopped chorizo and, if using, the serrano ham, along with some of the chopped tomatoes and part of the parsley. Season with salt and black pepper and let everything simmer briefly.
4. Let the filling coolTake the filling off the heat and let it cool so it is easy to handle.
5. Stuff and seal the tubesSpoon the filling loosely into the tubes. Don't pack them too tightly, as they shrink a little while cooking. Close the openings with toothpicks.
6. Start the tomato sauceFor the sauce, soften the remaining onion and garlic in the rest of the olive oil in a wide pan. Add the bay leaf, the remaining tomatoes and the tomato paste, and season with salt, black pepper and piri piri to taste.
7. Braise the squid gentlyLay the stuffed tubes side by side in the sauce and pour in the wine, usually white, if using. Cover and braise over low heat for 15 to 30 minutes, until the squid is tender, giving the pan a shake now and then instead of stirring.
8. Garnish and servePull out the toothpicks and remove the bay leaf, scatter the remaining chopped parsley over the squid and serve with rice or potatoes.

Tips and variations

The filling is easy to play with. One version mixes minced beef, chouriço and the tentacles raw and spoons them into tubes that have been seasoned with lemon juice beforehand; the filling then cooks through as the squid braise in the sauce. A much simpler filling is made from nothing but leeks, tentacles and tomato. A vegetable filling uses courgette and green bell pepper, and the stuffed squid then braise in white wine and vegetable stock. An old-style take cooks the tentacles in red wine, mixes them with hard-boiled egg and chouriço, and thickens the sauce with saffron and crushed bread. You can also bind the filling with breadcrumbs and bake the squid under foil in the oven rather than braising them on the hob. Instead of rice, serve the squid with mashed potatoes or chips, which soak up the tomato sauce just as well.