STUFFED CALAMARI TUBES

NOWADAYS, more and more fish outlets stock calamari tubes. Do not pass them by. Choose a couple of the same size of about 10 - 15cm long. You now have in your possession the basic ingredient for a superb starter that will blow the minds of your guests. Stuff the tubes with a filling of your choice and braai on a grid or in a pan until golden brown, as an imaginative starter for your braai.

From our De Vette Mossel food book:

INGREDIENTS (For 10 starter portions)

• 10 small calamari tubes. (The sides of big tubes are too thick and might get tough when cooked with this method.)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 100 g any fish or mussel meat, chopped
• Optional: replace fish with savoury rice, with additional onion and sweet red pepper.
• 1 small onion
• 2 dessert spoons of butter
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 10 toothpicks
• 50 g bread crumbs, if you do not use rice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ tea spoon paprika

NOU DO THIS:

1. Sauté onion in butter. Add fish/mussel meat, garlic, spices and braai quickly until just cooked. Add bread crumbs and mix. Stuff the calamari tubes with the filling and use a toothpick to ‘stitch’ the ‘mouth’ of each tube. DO NOT STUFF IT TOO TIGHT, ONLY ABOUT HALF FULL - the calamari will shrink when cooking and explode or some of the filling will leak out. Paint the tubes with egg, sprinkle with spices and braai quickly on a grid or pan (with butter!) on high heat. Do not overcook!

2. Serve with a lemon wedge and a small salad of your choice. Serve and enjoy immediately.