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 in 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

 • 100g 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 butter

 • 1 or 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

 • 10 toothpicks

 • 50g bread crumbs, if you do not use rice

 • salt and pepper to taste

 • ½ teaspoon paprika

NOW DO THIS:

Saute 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-grid or pan (with butter!) on high heat. Do not overcook!

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