Calamari with spinach and black rice

This traditional Greek dish is all about flavour and colour - both are very rich. You can buy calamari cleaned from a fishmonger, but you will need the ink sack so consider giving it a go yourself.

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 250 ml (1 cup) olive oil
• 1 bunch spring onions, chopped
• 600 g squid or cuttlefish, cleaned and chopped into thick pieces, ink sacs reserveds
• salt and black pepper
• 400 g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped fennel
• 1 bunch spinach leaves, cleaned and coarsely chopped

Black rice (pilafi)

• 3-4 tbsp butter
• ½ cup pine nuts
• 1½ cups short grain rice (if using long grain, use less water)
• 2 tsp squid ink
• 3½-4 cups stock or water
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat oil and add onion and stir. Add squid, salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook over a high heat for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and chopped herbs. Cover and reduce heat to cook until tender.

Just before serving, stir spinach through and cook for a further 4-5 minutes. Add extra water or stock if needed.

Meanwhile, to make black rice, heat butter and cook pine nuts until browned. Stir in rice, then add reserved ink and stock or water, salt and pepper. When it begins to boil, stir and reduce to a very low heat, cover with lid and cook for approx. 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.