Sautéed Calamari
with cannellini beans and fennel
Great as a tapa or seafood side dish. I love calamari with beans. With the sweetness of the bell peppers and the floral tartness of the lemon braised fennel, this dish is a really nice combination.
What you will need
2 heads fennel
1 lb calamari
1 can cannelini beans
1 red bell pepper
salt and pepper as needed
(Nutritional facts 9 calories, 0.09 g fat, 1.86 g carbohydrates, 0.3 g protein, undefined mg cholesterol, 203 mg sodium)How to cook
1
Roast and peel the bell pepper. Remove the seeds and membrane. Dice the bell pepper.
3
Clean and slice the calamari tubes. Make sure to check inside each tube before slicing. There's a clear sheath inside each tube, almost like a piece of plastic. Sometimes it will have been removed already, but double check.
4
Toss the calamari tentacles with a little salt and pepper.
5
Heat some oil over medium-high heat. Fry calamari for about 3 minutes and set aside. Calamari responds well to either a short cooking at high heat or a long braise. Anywhere in between and your calamari will get very chewy. Trust me, 3 minutes max.
6
Dump a can of beans into the empty calamari pan and bring to a simmer.
7
Dump in the roasted bell pepper chunks. Season with salt and pepper.
8
Add the calamari. Check the seasoning. Maybe another pinch of salt or a squeeze of lemon.
9
Take your braised fennel and arrange the wedges over the top of the calamari.
10
Roasted Bell Peppers
Roasted bell peppers are sweeter than raw, and they're a great way to add color to a dish.