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I like culinary adventures – new recipes, ingredients, cooking methods, etc. My latest round of kitchen adventuring has put me on a squid kick. It started with a chilled chardonnay-braised squid pasta recipe from Food and Wine magazine. Then I moved on to a squid paella dish and several calamari recipes. This simple lemon champagne risotto with sauteed squid is my first squid creation but I doubt it will be my last. Here is why I think you should try cooking with squid. First, as far as seafood goes, it’s quite cheap. I’ve been buying fresh squid for $4 to $6 dollars a pound. That is better than most of my go-to shrimp and fish options (I think only mussels are cheaper). If inflation is getting you down, why not give squid a try? Second, squid cooks super quick – we are talking 1-3 minutes tops. You can sautee it up in no time and toss it into a quick risotto, pasta, or rice dish. Last, and most importantly, it is delicious. Ready to give squid a try? Keep reading for tips on where to buy squid, how to clean squid, and cooking techniques.
Looking for more seafood dishes? Try my hazy IPA-steam mussels, clams in a spicy red sauce, or my Sicilian octopus stew. If you are looking for more risotto, try my creamy risotto with shrimp or my simple summer garden risotto.
Notes on Simpe Lemon Champagne Risotto with Sauteed Squid and Fresh Herbs
I make a lot of risotto. Once you master the technique, you can dress it up a million different ways with your favorite seasonal ingredients (e.g., fresh herbs) or proteins. This creamy lemon champagne risotto is good on its own. I chose to pair it with sauteed squid here as I think it works really well but you could also try shrimp, clams, or chicken. Below I provide some general notes on making creamy risotto and working with squid.
Making a Creamy Risotto
Making a creamy risotto is simple but it takes a little time a patience. You have to be willing to watch it pretty closely for 15 to 20 minutes as you slowly add hot stock. You want to stir it fairly frequently to keep if from sticking from the pan. But not constantly. If you stir it too much, it won’t take on the creamy texture you want. Once ever 30 seconds or so is plenty. For this recipe, I get the lemon champagne risotto started before the sauteed squid. The squid will only take about 1 minute to cook so you can wait until you are halfway or almost done with the risotto before you cook it up. I’ve included some of my favorite risotto kitchen tools at the end of this post.
Tips on Cooking with Squid
Where to buy squid: Squid is fairly common but you won’t find it at every grocery store. Larger higher-end grocery stores generally stock at least a frozen option. You are even more likely to find it at Asian markets or seafood markets. We have a large Asian market in town where I head for fresh seafood. They carry both fresh and frozen squid. So far I’ve been opting for fresh – I generally prefer fresh but you do have to clean it (or ask the fishmonger to do it fore you). There are lots of online vendors as well but their prices seem much higher.
How to clean squid: Cleaning squid is pretty easy and weirdly fun in my opinion. You separate the tube portion from the tentacles, pull out the insides and clear quill, remove the skin/membrane, and slice off the fins. I learned the process from this video from Great British Chefs. True Story: One of the last squids I cleaned had a little whole fish inside. Apparently, it’s not uncommon to find fish in your squid – so make sure to squeeze out the tubes!
Wait, is squid the same as calamari? To tell the truth, I’m not entirely sure. I think so but there are a number of internet sources asserting different things on this topic and it’s hard to tell which is the most “authoritative.” Some seem to claim calamari is a specific more tender and expensive species of squid (see for instance this article) while others more or less say that’s nonsense or marketing (Spruce Eats). Some also feel the need to point out the difference between squid and octopus – kind of obvious guys. Less obvious is the fact that cuttlefish (which look just like squid) are not squid. That one I’m sure of. You can read more about the difference between squid and cuttlefish on facts.net if you are so inclined. I think I will try cooking with cuttlefish next week so stay tuned . . .
What to Pair with Simple Lemon Champagne Risotto with Sauteed Squid
I generally pair risotto with a simple green salad. Spring mix with a lemon olive oil vinaigrette is a quick and easy choice. For drinks, I recommend Champagne (or Cava or Prosecco). I’ve been on a Cava kick lately and made this with Borrasco Cava – about $10 a bottle at Total Wine.
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Lemon Champagne Risotto with Simple Sauteed Squid
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: Seafood
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This creamy lemon champage risotto pairs perfectly with simple suateed squid tossed with fresh herbs. A perfect weeknight meal for dining alfresco!
Ingredients
Lemon Champagne Risotto
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, minced
- 2 cups short grain rice (try arborio or carnaroli)
- 1 ½ cup champagne or sparkling wine, cava, prosecco
- 2 lemons, zest and juice
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan
Simple Sauteed Squid
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped oregano
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 squid, cleaned with tubes and tentacles left whole
Instructions
Lemon Champagne Risotto
- Bring stock to a near boil in a medium saucepan and then keep at a low simmer.
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes until it becomes soft and translucent. Add the rice and cook 3 minutes more, stirring frequently. Add 1 cup of champagne and stir until absorbed.
- Add 1 cup of hot stock to the pan. Let it simmer, stirring frequently to prevent the rice from sticking. Once the stock is absorbed, add another half cup. Continue the process of adding ½ cup of stock each time all the liquid absorbs (see notes on how much to stir). This should take about 15 to 20 minutes. The rice should become just tender and creamy. Add the remaining ½ cup of champagne. Stir to distribute and then remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the butter, parmesan, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Top the risotto with the sauteed squid.
Simple Sauteed Squid
- Combined 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, lemon zest and juice, and chopped herbs in a bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic cloves and red pepper flakes and stir. Once oil is hot, add the squid tubes and tentacles. Cook over high heat for about 1 minute total turning after 30 seconds. The squid will become opaque and white once it is cooked. Don’t overcook or it will get rubbery – one to two minutes is really all you need.
- Transfer squid to a cutting board. Slice tubes into ½ inch rings. Cut tentacles in half. Add squid pieces to herb mixture and toss well to coat.
Notes
You don’t want to stir the mixture constantly. Stir as much as you need to distribute the stock and prevent the rice from sticking to the pan. If you over-stir, you won’t get the creamy texture.
I start the squid once I’ve started adding stock to the risotto. I find it is not hard to watch both dishes. However, you can cook up the squid first if you like. It won’t be hot but that works with this recipe. You can also wait until you’ve finished the risotto.
Keywords: squid, champagne, risotto, herbs, sautee
Favorite Risotto Kitche Tools
For risotto you will want a large sautee pan with highish sides, a wooden spoon (I love the flat edged one in this three piece set), and a low flat serving bowl. I love the melamine ones below for alfresco dining. I also love this risotto cookbook if you are looking for more comprehensive risotto source.
