This is a fabulously flavoursome and hearty stew for a chillier evening. Do ask the fishmonger to clean and prep the squid for you, so it is ready to cook with - you will need the tentacles but ask for their inedible beak to be removed.
Servings: 4
5 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced into semi-circles
3 garlic cloves, crushed
11/2tsp fennel seeds
200g cooking chorizo, skinned and cut into chunks or slices
small handful of flat leaf parsley
150ml fino sherry
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
600g squid, cleaned and cut into rings, with the tentacles.
In a large frying pan or shallow casserole dish, heat 3 tbsp of the olive oil. Fry off the onion slices until just softening, then add the crushed garlic and fennel seeds. Stir round for a couple of minutes and then add the chorizo pieces. Let those cook in the pan for 5 mins as the chorizo releases its lovely colour and flavour into the dish. Finely chop the stalks of the parsley and add those.
Stir in the fino sherry, tomatoes, chickpeas and the vinegar. Season and simmer gently for 5 mins, then drop in the squid rings (keeping back the tentacles). Add water if necessary to make sure the squid is just about immersed. Cover and simmer gently for 40 mins.
Shortly before it is ready, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan. Cook the tentacles in that for 2 mins, chop the parsley leaves and add those, then tip it all over the top of the squid and chorizo stew. Serve with crusty bread to mop the juices up with.
(This recipe originally featured for Borough Market.)