Name: Slow-cooked squid with olives and tomatoes
Total time: 2 h
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 600g vine tomatoes; olive oil; 1 large onion finely chopped; flat-leaf; a bunch parsley leaves roughly chopped; 2 cloves garlic crushed; 1 red chilli seeded and finely diced; 125ml white wine; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 2 bay leaves; 1 tsp fennel seeds crushed; 800g squid tubes cleaned and cut into rings; 100g green olives pitted; ½ lemon zested; to serve toasted ciabatta

Slow-cooked squid with olives and tomatoes

600g vine tomatoes
 olive oil
1 large onion
finely chopped
flat-leaf
a bunch parsley
leaves roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
crushed
1 red chilli
seeded and finely diced
125ml white wine
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 bay leaves
1 tsp fennel seeds
crushed
800g squid tubes
cleaned and cut into rings
100g green olives
pitted
½ lemon
zested
to serve toasted ciabatta

Method

step 1
Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 2 minutes until the skins start to burst and peel off. Drain and leave to cool for a few minutes until you can handle them. Peel off the skins and discard. Chop the flesh, keeping the seeds and any juice that comes off them and tip into a bowl.
step 2
Heat a drizzle of oil in a casserole or heavy based ovenproof pan. Fry the onion for 10 minutes until soft, but not coloured. Add the parsley stalks, garlic and chilli and fry for a minute. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, then add the peeled and chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, bay and fennel seeds.
step 3
Bring to a simmer, add the squid, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 45 minutes – 1 hour. After 30 minutes, add the olives, and leave the lid off if the sauce is a little thin. Keep cooking until the squid is tender, but not mushy. Stir in the parsley and lemon zest just before serving. Serve with toasted ciabatta, or cooked pasta if you like.