Ingredients
These supions, as small cuttlefish are called in the South of France, are neither battered nor deep-fried, as fried calamari typically are in the United States, but instead lightly floured and pan-fried in shallow oil. It therefore becomes necessary to sweat out the water from the squid before those liquids can dilute the hot oil. This process adds to the cooking time and thus the risk of tough squid. Although extremely tender pan-fried calamari may prove an elusive goal, I discovered that cutting the squid into small pieces rather than rings produces a far less chewy outcome.
The tropical fruit flavor of California and Washington State Sauvignon Blancs complements the coconut and curry flavors of the soup perfectly!
For a lighter main course, do this one-dish supper of pasta with greens, chickpeas and shrimp. If you prefer a strictly vegetarian meal, double up on the onion and the chickpeas, eliminating the shrimp.
This combination of sorrel, smoked salmon, and eggs makes one of the best brunch dishes I've ever eaten. When sorrel leaves are shredded and cooked in butter, they wilt dramatically and quickly turn into a puree, almost as if they melted. Add some cream, and you have a lemony sauce that complements the smoked salmon more keenly than a rich hollandaise. Just remember it takes a lot of sorrel leaves to make a little bit of sauce, so make this dish when you have plenty to harvest or can buy big bunches at the market, usually in the spring or early fall.
I like to use sockeye salmon for this dish -- its firm flesh and rich flavors are perfect for steaming
These are wonderfully messy shrimp that were meant to be eaten with fingers, chopsticks or forks. Since this stir fry is so good cold on a salad of mixed greens, I've provided for leftovers in the recipe.
An excellent rental movie to accompany this dish is Roman Polanski's Chinatown, although purists may prefer Orson Welles's Shanghai Lady.