Dish of the month

Nieves Barragan, Sabor

(One Michelin star)

Prawn & wild mushroom stuffed squid, ink sauce, aiilio

This dish reflects the straightforward, ingredient-first cooking of the Basque coast, and I have always been drawn to the deep traditions from this part of Spain. For me, cooking with squid, especially using its ink, is about capturing that sense of place in my own cooking. It speaks to a style of cooking I love, which is unfussy, ingredient-led, and rooted in lots of amazing memories.

Squid is something I use a lot, and cooking it in its own ink ensures nothing is wasted, and the flavour is deeper because of it. It’s a simple dish on paper, but it relies on good produce and careful cooking to get it right. For me, that balance is key, honest food that’s technically sound without being overcomplicated.

Ingredients

3 squid (clean) stuffed with fricassee

40 gr ink sauce
7 gr ajillo
3 gr acho dressing

1 leaf of chervil

In a medium heat casserole, pan fry the squid both sides, and cook in the oven for 1 or 2 minutes depending on the size. Warm up the ink sauce and add 1 teaspoon of ajillo. Plate the sauce on the bottom of the plate, place the squid in line on top of the sauce. Drizzle with ajillo and ancho dressing. Finish with a leaf of chervil.

Ink sauce

8 onion brunoise

1/2 bag padron peppers in brunoise

1 red pepper in chopped brunoise

300 ml Taxakoli wine
Squid ink and skins
2 lt bisque
Salt and pepper to taste
2 bay leaves

Arbequina olive

 

In a medium heat casserole, cook the onion and peppers until very soft. Add the ink and skins, cook for 2 minutes and add the wine. Reduce the alcohol and then add the bisque. Boil the sauce slowly and reduce until half. Blitz the sauce and pass it through a fine sieve.

 

Prawns and girolle fricassee

500 gr girolle cleaned and chopped

700 gr shrimps cleaned and chopped

400 gr chopped shallot
100 gr chopped chives

100 ml olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

 

In a medium heat casserole, cook the cleaned girolles until they get dry and golden brown, add salt and pepper, set aside. In a medium heat casserole, cook the cleaned and chopped prawns for just a minute until they release their own juice, season with salt and pepper, set aside.

Slowly confit the shallot in olive oil, add some salt to season and cook until translucent. Combine all the ingredients together, add the chopped chives and place in a piping bag.

 

Ajillo dressing

100 gr chopped garlic

100 gr chopped parsley

300 gr olive oil

50 gr dried ancho chili

100 ml olive oil

 

Mix all the ingredients together.

 

Ancho chili dressing

50 g dried ancho chili

100 ml olive oil

 

Remove the seed from the dry chili, chop finely and then add the oil.

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