Grilled Sausage-Stuffed Calamari – Squid Pro Quo

I usually go out of my way to simplify the recipes we post here, but for some things, like this Spanish-inspired, sausage-stuffed calamari recipe, there just are no acceptable shortcuts to take. However, your efforts will be rewarded with something that tastes every bit the effort it took to make…as long as they don’t explode in your face.

If you overstuff these, like I do every single time, they can burst open, sometimes violently. As you’ll see, the final results will still look great, and you do get to sneak a few tastes of the stuffing as you grill. So, be careful not to fill these too much, and/or wear your sunglasses while grilling these beauties.

As far as grilling time goes, you really should use a thermometer, and cook until you have an internal temp of 155 F. Especially since you’ll have squid of various sizes on the grill at the same time. If that’s not an option, look for when the juices and fat from the sausage starts bubbling out.

I was so hungry when I finally finished this batch I forgot to serve these with lemon wedges, which adds a nice, bright note to the smoky, spicy meat. A few platters of these, some ice cold beer (provided by friends you just taught what quid pro quo means), and you’re basically summering in Spain. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 16 to 18 stuffed squid:

1 1/2 pounds cleaned calamari (tell the fish guy to give you mostly tubes)

For the stuffing:

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced red pepper

salt and pepper to taste

6 oz Italian or other spicy, garlicky sausage

1 large egg

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1/8 tsp smoked paprika

4 ounces chopped tentacles (grilled the rest separately and eat!)

- serve with lemon wedges

*Note: grill these over a medium-hot coals, or close your cover to keep the heat down

Chorizo & Chicken Skewers – Make Some For Your Buddy

At some point this summer, you’ll get tired of grilled chicken. Any grilled chicken. No matter the marinade, or the delivery system, you will have simply reached your limit, and that’s when you need to reach for the chorizo. 

Impale a few slices of this famously delicious, Spanish sausage in between your chunks of chicken, and as it grills, it will splatter its spicy, smoky fat all over its much blander skewermate, and once again, you and grilled chicken will be good buddies...just like Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte.

That reference will make a lot more sense once you watch the beginning of the video. Anyway, this is nothing more than a suggestion to help cure grilled chicken fatigue, and as usual, I expect you to tailor this concept to your own strange and exotic tastes. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 Skewers:

8 oz chorizo sausage, cut in 16 pieces

2 large chicken breasts, cut in 10 pieces each

1/2 red onion

1 red bell pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp smoked paprika

cayenne to taste

1 tbsp sherry vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp minced fresh oregano

Sausage Stuffed Piquillo Peppers – Not So Rare Spanish Beauty

There’s nothing quite like the piquillo pepper. They’re sweet, fruity, slightly smoky, and just bitter enough. For me, they’re the San Marzano tomatoes of peppers. And while I enjoy them in literally anything, these delicate, triangular beauties are just made for stuffing.

I don’t think I’ve ever filled them the same way twice, and while this most recent exploration was quite amazing, who knows what the future will bring. Having said that, this one may be worth repeating. I loved this Spanish-inspired combination of flavors.

The thing to keep in mind is that since you’re only cooking these for about 20 minutes, you’ll want to stay away from things that take longer than that. Things like raw rice, or larger chunks of vegetables just won’t work well here. Thankfully that leaves like a thousand other possible ingredients, so you have that going for you.

These are surprisingly easy to find, and any high-end grocery store should stock them. Gourmet cheese shops almost always have them, and you can find them all over the Internet. If all else fails, ask any Spanish person living near you, and they will know. I hope you give these beautiful peppers a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 Stuffed Piquillo Peppers:

12 Piquillo Peppers

olive oil, as needed

4 oz chorizo, Merguez sausage, or any spicy sausage meat

1/2 cup diced green onions

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup cooked white long grain rice

2 oz goat cheese

2 cloves crushed garlic

2 tbsp parsley, plus more to garnish

cayenne to taste

1 tsp cumin
1 large egg

2 tbsp sliced or chopped almonds

1 tsp blood orange zest

1 tbsp blood orange juice

400 F. for 15-20 minutes

Sausage & Shrimp Paella – Before You Run, You Walk, Or In This Case, Crawl

When I first do a version of a classic dish like paella, I try to use a minimum of number of ingredients and steps so we focus on the technique. So, while you experienced paella makers will probably find this quite unremarkable, it really is intended for the first-timer. 

Real paella is not baked, but cooked on top of a fire, which results in a similarly textured rice to what you see here, except a layer caramelizes onto the bottom of the pan, and those gloriously crunchy bits are considered the best part. So, basically I’m telling you we left out the best part.

The trade-off is that this method eliminates most of the finesse and monitoring required by the traditional method. Consider this a gateway paella, and the first step to a serious, lifelong addiction. Besides the method, ideally you’ll use a wider variety of ingredients; things like clams, mussels, squid, chicken are all very commonly used, and will make your rice that much more interesting.

No matter how you cook you paella, one thing you must try to include is the saffron. Besides the short-grain rice, this is probably the most key addition. Unfortunately, the flavor and aroma are almost impossible to describe, so you really need to experience it yourself to fully understand. I’ve heard it described using things like “earthy metallic honey,” and “rusty champagne,” but these really don’t do it justice.

Anyway, if you’ve never tried to make paella before, I really hope this inspires you to give it a go. The Arborio we use here is easy to find in the big grocery stores, and as long as you stick to the liquid/rice ratio, there’s not a lot that can go wrong. And like I said in the video, stay tuned for my future attempt at a more classic version. In the meantime, I hope you give this quick and easy paella a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions:

(best to use a 12 or 13 inch wide skillet)

For the saffron broth:

2 tsp olive oil

reserved shrimp shells from 1 pound of jumbo shrimp

1/2 to 1 tsp saffron threads, depending on how strong you want the flavor

2 1/4 cups chicken broth

*Simmer for 20 minutes, strain and reserve. Be sure to season generously with salt, or your rice will be bland.

For the paella:

1 tbsp olive oil

8 oz sliced chorizo sausage, or any smoky, spicy sausage

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/3 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup green peas

1 tsp regular or smoked paprika, optional depending on how much was in the sausage

2 cups (exactly) hot saffron broth, or just plain hot chicken broth

1 pound peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp

1 sweet red pepper, cut into thin strips

salt and cayenne to taste

garnish top with a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and freshly chopped Italian parsley

lemon wedges, optional (some love lemon, I prefer without, but give it a try and see)

*Bake at 425 degrees F. for 20 minutes, then finish over med-high flame until rice is just tender. It will be firm and slightly sticky. Don’t burn it, but you can leave it on the flame a little longer to try and get the rice to caramelize and crust onto the bottom of the pan, like the classic version. Be careful.

Celebrating National Garlic Day with Sopa de Ajo - Spanish Bread and Garlic Soup

As a very, very small percentage of you may know, tomorrow is National Garlic Day, and what better way to celebrate than with a big bowl of Spanish garlic soup? Sopa de Ajo is a wonderfully rustic bread soup, spiked with sliced garlic, paprika, and ham.

If that wasn’t enough to get your attention, it’s also topped with eggs poached in the fragrant, brick red broth. It’s like a steaming bowl of breakfast-for-dinner. 

Like I say in the clip, there are as many ways to make this as families in Spain, but I really think toasting the bread is key. You’re basically replacing the flavorless water in the bread with olive oil and awesome soup.

Plus, having the olive oil baked into the cubes makes for a better texture in my opinion. Whether you make this tomorrow to celebrate a totally made-up holiday, or wait until you have some stale bread sitting around, I really hope you try this incredibly comforting Spanish soup. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

About 6 cups of cubed French or Italian bread

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle on bread cubes

6-10 thinly sliced garlic cloves

2 oz ham diced

1-2 tsp paprika or to taste

6 cups chicken broth

4 large eggs

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

Potato & Chorizo Mini Quiches – One Last Super Bite for Your Super Bowl

To all of you that have been requesting mini-cupcake videos: this mini quiche recipe may be as close as I get. I’m sorry, but it’s hard for me to get excited about buttercream when I have chorizo, potato and manchego in the house. Okay, one’s a sweet treat and other is a savory snack, so it’s not a fair comparison, but on the bright side, this intro paragraph is done.

This little baked bite is very loosely based on the Spanish Tortilla, and not only is it dead simple to make, but the versatility of the technique allows this to be adapted to any occasion. From ruckus Super Bowl celebration to black tie Oscar party, these mini quiches will always be a crowd-pleaser.

I’d almost be insulted if you didn’t make changes to the ingredients to tailor this to your tastes, but I do recommend that little dab of aioli on the top. I spiked a classic, garlicky aioli with some smoked paprika and chive, and it really made these treats even more special.  I hope you give them a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 24 Mini Quiche:

4 oz Spanish chorizo sausage, small dice

2 tsp olive oil

1 russet potato, small dice

salt and pepper to taste

vegetable spray, as needed

8 large eggs, beaten with pinch of cayenne and 1/2 tsp salt

(Note: there are 10 eggs shown in the video, but it made too much, so I cut down to 8)

about 2/3 cup grated manchego or cheddar cheese

garlic aioli and chive to garnish

View the complete recipe