Name: Light Tomato Stew with Squid and Summer Vegetables
Cuisine: イタリアン
Ingredients: 1–2 Japanese flying squids; 1/2 zucchini (cut into 1.5cm cubes); 1 eggplant (cut into 1.5cm cubes); 1/2 red bell pepper (cut into 1.5cm cubes); 1/2 onion (cut into 1.5cm cubes); 200g canned diced tomatoes; 1 clove garlic (lightly crushed); A pinch of cumin seeds; A pinch of dried red chili pepper (seeded); Black pepper, to taste; 100ml white wine; Extra virgin olive oil, to taste; Salt, to taste; Mint or Italian parsley, to taste; 2–4 slices focaccia (or baguette)

About "Light Tomato Stew with Squid and Summer Vegetables"

Chef Yoshimi Hidaka of Ristorante ACQUA PAZZA introduces a light tomato stew featuring Japanese flying squid and summer vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper. Infusing the oil with cumin seeds and red chili pepper, and adding squid viscera as a secret ingredient, creates a rich and deeply flavorful sauce. By covering and simmering the squid on low heat for just 2 minutes, it stays tender and plump. Served over toasted focaccia and garnished with fresh mint, this dish is perfect for summer.

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Tips for Making "Light Tomato Stew with Squid and Summer Vegetables"

Prep
- Remove the ink sac from the squid viscera before cutting it off and setting it aside. Always remove the eyes and beak inside a bowl of water to prevent ink from splattering.
Prep
- Cook the squid with the skin on to preserve its flavor and aroma. Cut the body into rings and the tentacles into bite-sized pieces.
Aroma
- Tilt the pot to submerge the garlic in oil and cook slowly over low heat to infuse its flavor. Remove it once lightly golden to prevent bitterness from burning.
Aroma
- Add cumin seeds and a seeded red chili pepper to the oil to thoroughly infuse it, giving the entire dish a deep, spicy flavor.
Seasoning
- Adding squid viscera to the sauce balances the tomato's acidity with a rich, savory depth. If viscera is unavailable, substitute with anchovies or fish sauce.
Heat control
- Once the squid is added, cover and cook over low heat for exactly 2 minutes. Do not overcook, as it will become tough; stick strictly to the time to keep it plump.
Finishing
- Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil at the end for extra flavor. Serving the stew over toasted focaccia or baguette allows the bread to soak up the delicious broth.

Ingredients for "Light Tomato Stew with Squid and Summer Vegetables"

15 items

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1–2Japanese flying squids
1/2zucchini (cut into 1.5cm cubes)
1eggplant (cut into 1.5cm cubes)
1/2red bell pepper (cut into 1.5cm cubes)
1/2onion (cut into 1.5cm cubes)
200gcanned diced tomatoes
1clove garlic (lightly crushed)
Apinch of cumin seeds
Apinch of dried red chili pepper (seeded)
Blackpepper, to taste
100mlwhite wine
Extravirgin olive oil, to taste
Salt,to taste
Mintor Italian parsley, to taste
2–4slices focaccia (or baguette)

How to Make "Light Tomato Stew with Squid and Summer Vegetables"

1
[Prep the Squid] Insert your fingers into the body of the squid, gently detach the viscera from the body, and slowly pull out the cartilage and viscera.
2
Carefully remove the ink sac from the pulled-out viscera (you can freeze the ink sac to use later). Cut the viscera off just above the eyes and set it aside in a bowl.
3
To prevent ink and moisture from splattering, remove the eyes and beak inside a bowl filled with water. Lightly rinse the inside of the body clean.
4
Thoroughly pat the squid dry. Cut the body into rings and cut the tentacles into bite-sized lengths (remove the suction cups if desired).
5
[Infuse the Base] Pour extra virgin olive oil into a pot and add the lightly crushed garlic. Tilt the pot and cook the garlic over low heat in the oil to infuse its aroma.
6
Once the garlic is lightly golden, add the onion and sauté briefly to bring out its sweetness.
7
Add the cumin seeds and seeded red chili pepper, thoroughly infusing the oil with the spices. Remove the garlic from the pot before it burns.
8
[Sauté the Vegetables] Add the red bell pepper and sauté, followed by the zucchini and eggplant. Stir-fry so everything is coated in oil, and season lightly with salt.
9
Add the white wine and cook over high heat to quickly burn off the alcohol.
10
Add the canned diced tomatoes, stir well, cover, and steam over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
11
[Add Richness with Viscera] Add the reserved squid viscera to the pot and dissolve it thoroughly into the sauce. Cover again and simmer over low heat for another minute.
12
Taste the sauce to check the flavor of the cumin and squid viscera. If there is too little liquid, add about 1 tbsp of water and adjust the seasoning with salt.
13
[Cook the Squid & Finish] Add the cut squid to the pot and toss to coat with the sauce. Cover and cook over low heat for exactly 2 minutes.
14
After 2 minutes, uncover, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and toss lightly.
15
[Plating] Slice and toast the focaccia, then place it in the center of a plate. Generously ladle the squid and summer vegetable stew along with its broth over the bread, garnish with mint leaves, and serve.

Detailed Commentary on "Light Tomato Stew with Squid and Summer Vegetables"

* Content organized by topics from the video.

Introducing the Squid & Summer Vegetable Stew

Today, we are introducing a light stew featuring Japanese flying squid—a popular catch across Japan—and summer vegetables. While squid catches can fluctuate, Japanese flying squid is an incredibly versatile ingredient that tastes wonderful both raw and cooked. For this dish, we combine the squid with summer vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper, and spice it with cumin seeds to create a light tomato stew perfect for summer. We garnish it with fresh mint for a refreshing aroma. To serve, we place sliced and toasted house-made focaccia at the bottom of the plate and ladle the stew generously over it, allowing the bread to soak up the delicious broth. You can easily substitute baguette, so please give it a try at home!

Prepping the Squid and Saving the Viscera

First, let's start by prepping the squid. To separate the cartilage and viscera from the body, use your fingers to gently detach the parts where the viscera is connected to the body, then slowly pull it out. Next, remove the ink sac from the viscera. We won't be using the squid ink today, but don't throw it away—you can freeze it and save it for squid ink pasta later. We will use a small amount of the squid viscera as a secret ingredient to add depth and richness to our stew, so cut it off just above the eyes and set it aside in a bowl. Be sure to remove the eyes and beak inside a bowl of water; otherwise, the ink and moisture can splatter and make a mess. Finally, lightly rinse the inside of the body with water to clean it.

Cutting the Squid to Maximize Texture

Once the prepped squid is thoroughly patted dry, we move on to cutting. We keep the skin on to preserve the squid's natural flavor and aroma. Cut the body into rings. Since squid becomes tough when overcooked, the key is to cook it very briefly. As for the tentacles, while the area around the cartilage is delicious when grilled, we will simmer it all together today. Cut the long tentacles into manageable lengths. You can remove the suction cups if you prefer, but I personally love their texture, so I leave them on. Cut the tentacles with the cartilage into bite-sized pieces as well. Cutting the squid this way allows you to enjoy the different textures of each part, which makes the final dish even more delicious.

Building the Flavor Base with Garlic & Cumin

Pour extra virgin olive oil into a pot and add the lightly crushed garlic. While you could mince the garlic and eat it with the dish, today we only want to infuse its flavor into the oil. Tilt the pot and cook the garlic slowly over low heat. Once the garlic is fragrant and lightly golden, add the onion cut into 1.5cm cubes. Sauté the onion briefly to bring out its sweetness, then add our key spices: cumin seeds and a dried red chili pepper. Cut the end off the chili pepper and remove the seeds before adding it. Infusing the oil with the refreshing, exotic aroma of cumin gives the entire dish a deep, spicy flavor. Since garlic becomes bitter if it burns, remove it from the pot once it reaches a nice golden color.

Sautéing Summer Veggies & Simmering Tomatoes

Once the spices are fragrant, add the vegetables to the pot in order of cooking time. First, add the red bell pepper cut into 1.5cm cubes and sauté, followed by the zucchini and eggplant. Stir-fry so that everything is well coated in oil, then season lightly with salt. Once the vegetables have absorbed the oil, add the white wine and cook over high heat to quickly burn off the alcohol. The white wine adds a pleasant acidity and depth of flavor. Next, add the canned diced tomatoes, which are incredibly convenient since they require no prep. Stir everything together, lower the heat to prevent the edges from burning, cover, and steam-cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Enriching the Sauce with Squid Viscera

After simmering covered for about a minute, add the reserved squid viscera to the pot. Adding the viscera infuses the acidic tomato sauce with a rich, savory depth and the essence of the sea, dramatically elevating the flavor. If you are using frozen squid or cannot get fresh viscera, you can achieve a similar rich umami flavor by adding a small amount of anchovy or a few drops of fish sauce. Once the viscera is fully dissolved into the sauce, cover again and simmer over low heat for another minute. Taste the sauce to ensure the flavors of the cumin and squid viscera are well developed. If it feels a bit dry, add about 1 tbsp of water, and finish by adjusting the seasoning with a pinch of salt.

Perfectly Cooking the Squid & Plating

Once the sauce is seasoned, it's finally time to add our star ingredient: the squid. Toss the squid gently to coat it with the sauce. We want to cook the squid now, but since overcooking makes it tough, cover the pot and cook over low heat for exactly 2 minutes. Keeping it to this precise 2-minute window ensures the squid remains incredibly tender with a wonderfully plump texture. After 2 minutes, uncover, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and toss lightly. Place the toasted focaccia in the center of a plate and generously ladle the squid and summer vegetable stew, along with its rich broth, right over it. Garnish with fresh mint leaves for a beautiful, vibrant finish.

A Taste of Summer: Spices & Squid Viscera

Our staff sat down to taste the finished dish. With the first bite, the refreshing aroma of cumin hits you, followed by the sweetness of the summer vegetables and the savory flavor of the squid. The addition of the squid viscera creates a uniquely deep, rich flavor that is different from anchovies, giving the sauce incredible complexity. The toasted focaccia at the bottom of the plate absorbs every drop of this flavorful broth, making the dish hearty and deeply satisfying when eaten together. Thanks to the precise 2-minute cooking time, the squid is incredibly tender. This spicy, rich stew is also fantastic served over couscous instead of bread. We highly recommend trying this perfect summer dish!

About 日高良実のACQUAPAZZAチャンネル

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