Squid stuffed with mussels

Squid is the most universal and consumed cephalopod in kitchens around the world. All the recipes for stuffed squid are very tasty but this one has its succulent sea flavor. It is not a difficult recipe at all but it is laborious. The most important thing is that both the squid and the mussels are fresh, they are not usually very expensive and their taste is incomparable. It is not a seasonal food, we can find it practically all year in fishmongers, since its capture is carried out throughout the year.

From a nutritional point of view, it stands out for its very high quality protein content, providing most of the essential amino acids, and it is also low in fat and calories. The abundance of iodine that can be found in this food is beneficial for our metabolism, regulating our energy level and the proper functioning of cells. In addition, the squid’s iodine helps to take care of ourselves inside, regulating our cholesterol.

The elaboration, like that of all the stews, must be slow, so that all the flavors settle down with the cooking. It is very important that the squid is tender, but we should not overcook it since its meat hardens if we cook it excessively. The stuffed squids are a complete and nutritious dish and the sauce in which they are cooked make them very tasty, even from one day to the next they will be delicious.

Preparation of squid stuffed with mussels

1. The first thing we do is clean the squid well, remove the guts, separate the legs from the body and remove the eyes. Ideally, the bulk of this work is already done by the fishmonger, so at home we only wash them well to remove the remains of viscera that may remain and the rest of the ink that may have come off.
2. Chop the legs into small pieces. We cut the two fins and chop them too, leaving the whole body and completely empty, we reserve.
3. Before making the squid, we will wash the mussels well. We will remove the beards (side hairs that come out of each of the shells) helping us with a knife to pull better. Then we clean the shells on the outside to remove the remains of beards.
4. Once washed we begin with the preparation. To do this, we place the mussels in a saucepan with the white wine, water (the liquid remains more or less in the middle of the mussels), salt and bay leaf. We cover the casserole and bring it to a boil. The smell of this first step is really nice. We leave until the shells are open (about a minute) and remove from the heat.
5. When they are fully open, remove from the heat and separate the mussels from the shells. On the one hand we chop the meat and reserve. On the other, we reserve the cooking water. At the same time that we open the mussels we put the eggs to cook. We cover them with cold water and cook 10 minutes from the boil. We should not cook them any longer since a dark greenish halo forms around the yolk that is unpleasant to the eye. With these indications you have to be perfect. Once cooked, peel them, chop them with a grater to make it very fine. We reserve.
6. Now we are going to compose the filling, for this in a frying pan with oil we skip the pieces of legs and fins that we have reserved. They release a little water, so we drain them and add new oil before adding the rest of the ingredients.
7. Add ½ of the chopped onion and sauté. When it has taken color, add the chopped mussels, the eggs and a little salt. We stir well so that it mixes perfectly, leave a few minutes and remove from the heat.
8. With this mixture we fill the bodies of the squid with the help of a teaspoon and once full we place a toothpick in the opening to prevent them from emptying.
9. Season the squid with salt and pepper and brown them in a frying pan over high heat. Ideally, they take a small golden crust on the outside to make them more tasty. We reserve.
10. Finally we make a delicious sauce to finish cooking them. To do this in a frying pan with oil or directly in the pot in which we are going to cook them, fry ½ chopped onion and the garlic head. When it is golden we incorporate the fried tomato and leave about 5 minutes.
11. Add the squid, cover with the broth to cook the mussels that we had reserved and rectify with salt. Let cook over high heat for about 45 minutes so that they are done well and the sauce thickens.

To accompany a basmati rice or a little white rice will be ideal . I assure you that you will enjoy a lot with its flavor and you can even make boats with the sauce. It’s worth stopping a bit of time once in a while and treating yourself to a recipe like this.

Be sure to enjoy all the recipes for fish and seafood that we have on the blog, I assure you that you will find a lot of ideas to make yours much happier. You can see all the photos of the step by step in the next album.