A September Squid Dinner

I've been having so much fun cooking with our newest products from Greece! Last week I had a small dinner party for some friends and I wanted to make something to remind us of our summer vacation that already seems so long ago. I also wanted to try for myself Agrozimi's Handmade Pearl Couscous with Squid Ink, and their squid recipe on the insider of the label seemed just right. To be honest, this was the first time I cooked with one of their recipes, since I usually like to do my own thing. But the past couple of weeks have been crazy, as I was sorting out the new arrivals, packing boxes to send to Amazon, updating our website...and dealing with unexpected home repairs that always seem to come at the worst possible time!

But back to dinner - not to brag, but the dish really came out great and I realized I need to be using Agrozimi's recipes more often - don't throw away that label!! I ended up using fresh baby calamari that I saw at Whole Foods, but you can use frozen squid or calamari. I already had a bit of nice red wine that my husband and I hadn't finished the night before and, of course, this intriguing black couscous. The whole dish was so quick and easy to make - an impressive looking dish for a surprisingly little amount of effort!

Give it a try yourself and let us know what you think.  Keep in mind that Agrozimi doesn't use any artificial colors or flavors so the couscous will lose some of its black color while it's boiling.  But the flavor will be just as delicious - enjoy!

Ingredients for squid ink couscous

1 cup Agrozimi squid ink pearl couscous

2 lbs fresh or frozen squid or calamari

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cups tomato juice

1 cup dry red wine

fennel to garnish

extra virgin olive oil

salt, pepper

Make the squid ink couscous

Clean and wash the squids or cuttlefish. Boil them in a sauce-pan filled with a little water for about 20΄. When ready, slice them.

In a deep frying pan, heat olive oil and brown the onion. Add the squid or cuttlefish into the frying pan and sauté for 2΄. Douse with the wine. Wait 2-3΄ until the alcohol evaporates, then add the tomato juice and salt. Turn down the heat and simmer. Shortly before the end, finely chop the fennel and toss it into the frying pan.

Meanwhile, boil 3 cups of salted water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan. Once brought to a boil, add the pearl couscous, stir thoroughly and cook for about 12΄. Drain and sprinkle with some olive oil.

Serve immediately as a side dish to the squid or cuttlefish.

Buy the Greek products for the squid ink couscous