Calamari Strips With Scallion Broth And Squid InkFagollaga

A lucid reinvention and symbiosis of two legendary Basque dishes: baby squid in its ink and a lo Pelayo (stuffed with vegetables). Though the essences of both recipes are preserved, they are substantially renovated through a modern system of concepts and techniques. In other words, the traditional manner in which these dishes were prepared, stewing the main ingredients and the sauces together (a technique in disuse today in haute cuisine), yields to new approaches that preserve and strengthen the purity and texture of the calamari. In this version the calamari no longer bestow their flavor on the ensemble, but instead conserve their poignant, sweet characteristics. In a parallel way, two different consistencies are presented: one soft, from the rawness of the calamari, and another firm from its cooking with the vegetables – escalating sensations. The colorful aspect of this dish is also much more striking than the traditional versions.
The tentacles, cut into small pieces, are prepared with the onion, green pepper and garlic; a variant of the Pelayo version. The bodies of the squids are cut into strips and cooked at low temperature: in oil at 60 º C for 50 min. They are served tepid over a mountain of the vegetables and tentacles. The sauce is served in a shot glass: black consommé made with scallions, chicken stock, dried octopus and the inks. History exceeded in accordance with the times.