# Calamares en su tinta

A flavorful and intense stew made from squid in its own ink, served with white rice.

- Total time: 90 min
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Category: Soup
- Language: en

## 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

## Instructions

1. Peel the tomato and cut all the vegetables evenly.
2. Start the sofrito by adding a generous amount of olive oil and garlic to a cold pot.
3. Heat 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.
4. Add salt to taste at the end.
5. Stir-fry all the vegetables until they get some golden color and the bottom of the pot forms a brown fond.
6. Add the diced tomato and stir for a couple of minutes to deglaze the pot with its moisture.
7. Cook the sofrito on medium heat for another 5 minutes.
8. Add the squid ink, mix well, and let it cook for another 25 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, clean the squid but do not cut it into pieces yet, so it's easier to remove later for blending the sauce.
10. Sear the squid in a well-preheated pan, on maximum heat, with a bit of oil, until it gets some golden color within 2 minutes.
11. Deglaze the pan with brandy and pour it all into the pot with the sofrito.
12. Add the vermouth, cover with water, and stew for 30 minutes, depending on the size of your squid.
13. Remove the squid and cut it into pieces.
14. Blend the sauce.
15. Put everything back together, bring it to a boil, and enjoy with some white rice as the perfect side dish for this rich sauce.

## Equipment

- pot
- spatula
- knife
- cutting board
- pan
- tongs
- blender

## 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.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMspgNhtT5k/?igsh=MXU2dnI2ZHlvYXB3aw==
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/791d11e6-f3fc-4f2e-ab6e-f20ceb63bcca
- Extracted: 2025-07-29

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt