Jim's Galley: JB's Calamari with Sour Dough Multigrain Chibatta Bread

Sunday, October 17, 2010

JB's Calamari with Sour Dough Multigrain Chibatta Bread

Ok folks, yes, this is one of my all time favorites, and will be yours to if you give this recipe a try. If you are looking for a “Date Night” dish, this is it!

First, buy some good Calamari from a Japanese market. You are looking for fresh frozen, cleaned medium sized squid. To thaw, just place them in some cold water for a few minutes, and they will soon break apart. Clean the squid by removing the head and tentacles from inside.

Cut the squid into rings and re rinse after you cut up all the rings. Place in a pan and pat dry. Sprinkle with your favorite Cajun spice lightly, then add House Autry Seafood Breader mix to the squid rings along with some cornmeal. Mix everything together and put in the fridge until you are almost ready to serve. Remember, YOU ARE ONLY GOING TO COOK THE SQUID FOR LIKE A MIN!!!! Do NOT pre cook the squid and then wait for everything else to be ready.

Sour Dough Multigrain Ciabatta Bread.

Mix:

2 cup King Arthur Bread Flour

1 Cup Sir Lancelot High Gluten Flour

1-Cup King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour

1.5-Cup Sour Dough Start

1 pac instant yeast

Teaspoon of salt (add last after kneading)

1-cup warm spring water

Stir in mixer for only a few minutes, then let stand in covered bowl for 18 hours. After 18 hours, place some cellophane on a wetted granite surface so the cellophane clings to the surface.

Next, put some bench flour on the cellophane and put the dough on and work in some flour to thicken just a LITTLE. This is a wet batter.

The dough will need to rise again for two hours. Use a salt and peppershaker to make a tent with a flour towel. Let rise.

After last rise, move the dough to a cornmealed pizza stone by simply rolling it off onto the stone. This is very easy to maneuver using the cellophane.

Once on the stone, sprinkle a little flour on top, then bake at 425 for 35 minutes. Then remove from oven and cover.

Slice into thin slices and top with fresh Romano, par., and fresh Motz. Cheese as well as fresh cracked pepper and parsley. Toast at 400 for about 10 minutes.

Marinara Sauce

This is real easy, I just buy it, warm it up on the stove, and top with Parm. Cheese.

To serve, fry in a cast iron skillet for about two minutes, drain and serve on this platter!

If you don’t have a squid platter, get one soon, your company will LOVE IT!!

Wanna know where I got my Squid serving dish????? I bought it off the wall at Carrabbas restaurant. A few years ago I was on a date at Carrabbas and noticed this totally awesome plate hanging on the wall. I called the manager \ owner over to our table and ask him if it was for sale. He said not really, the plate was $200 serving dish imported from Italy. I told the fellow it was not doing anyone any good sitting on the wall, and ask if he would take $50 Bucks for it. He said make it $100 and promise you will come back to dinner again. I looked at my date and said, “Dahlin, If you pay $50 bucks, I will kick in $50 bucks, and we will buy this darn squid plate”!! She agreed. So after we got it off the wall I told her that if we did not continue to date, I get to keep the dish. She said, “Looks like I got the better part of the deal”. Well, all I can say is about a week later, I did get to keep the squid plate, and here is a great pic of it!