Grilled Sausage-Stuffed Calamari

Tender calamari stuffed with a flavorful fennel-spiced pork sausage mixture, grilled to perfection and finished with olive oil and fresh parsley. This elegant seafood dish combines the delicate taste of squid with savory Italian-style sausage filling.

4 servings
45 min

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup fine fresh bread crumbs
  • cup whole milk
  • ¾ teaspoon fennel seeds
  • ½ pound ground pork
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • 12 pieces squid
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 serving lemon wedges

Cooking Instructions

  1. 1.

    Soak bread crumbs in milk in a large bowl.

    5 min

  2. 2.

    Toast fennel seeds in a dry small skillet (not nonstick) over medium-low heat, shaking skillet occasionally, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Chop fennel seeds and add to bread-crumb mixture along with pork, garlic, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Gently mix with your hands until well blended. Using a small spoon, loosely stuff squid with fennel sausage, leaving a 1/2-inch space at top (you may have some stuffing left over). Seal tops using wooden picks.

    15 min

  3. 3.

    Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium heat for gas); see Grilling Procedure .

    10 min

  4. 4.

    Coat stuffed squid and tentacles with oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Oil grill rack, then grill stuffed squid, turning frequently, until golden in spots and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of filling registers 150 to 155°F, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter. Grill tentacles until opaque and curled, about 1 minute, then add to platter. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with parsley.

    15 min

  5. 5.

    Fontaleoni Vernaccia di San Gimignano '07