1Peel the tomato and cut all the vegetables evenly.
2Start the sofrito by adding a generous amount of olive oil and garlic to a cold pot.
3Heat the pot to maximum heat and once the garlic starts dancing, add the onion, leek, and pepper in three different batches to allow the temperature to return to normal after each addition.
4Add salt to taste at the end.
5Stir-fry all the vegetables until they get some golden color and the bottom of the pot forms a brown fond.
6Add the diced tomato and stir for a couple of minutes to deglaze the pot with its moisture.
7Cook the sofrito on medium heat for another 5 minutes.
8Add the squid ink, mix well, and let it cook for another 25 minutes.
9Meanwhile, clean the squid but do not cut it into pieces yet, so it's easier to remove later for blending the sauce.
10Sear the squid in a well-preheated pan, on maximum heat, with a bit of oil, until it gets some golden color within 2 minutes.
11Deglaze the pan with brandy and pour it all into the pot with the sofrito.
12Add the vermouth, cover with water, and stew for 30 minutes, depending on the size of your squid.
13Remove the squid and cut it into pieces.
14Blend the sauce.
15Put everything back together, bring it to a boil, and enjoy with some white rice as the perfect side dish for this rich sauce.
Ingredients
1 kg squid
16 g squid ink
0.6 kg green bell pepper
0.6 kg onion
0.4 kg leek
4 garlic cloves
0.3 kg tomato
2 bird’s eye cayenne peppers
0.5 cup brandy
1 cup white vermouth
water
salt
extra virgin olive oil
rice
Equipment
potspatulaknifecutting boardpantongsblender
Tips
To build a powerful sofrito, get a golden brown color on your veggies before adding the tomato.
The squid ink has a very intense briny flavor, but it turns into pure magic after stewing.
Remember to leave the skin on the squid when searing; it's essential.
Sear the squid at high heat to boost the flavor of the stew.
Use a little bit of brandy to deglaze the pan after searing the squid.