Sous Vide Calamari Fra Diavolo

Squid can be tricky to cook properly on the stove top — it needs to barely touch the heat, or braise for many, many hours to transform from rubbery to tender. Cooking it sous vide (mostly) eliminates this problem. Seal it with a hefty pour of olive oil, give it a couple of hours, and the squid emerges tender and perfumed. Be careful, though: unlike other proteins, squid will start to disintegrate if it sits too long in the water bath. I’d recommend checking on it every hour to be sure. I like to toss my squid in a spicy tomato sauce, ala calamari fra diavolo. It’s tasty served as an appetizer with crusty bread, or tossed with pasta for a hearty main.

Author

Kate Itrich-Williams

Prep Time: 00:35

Recipe Time: 01:00

Temperature : 139F / 59.4C

Ingredients

• 1 pound squid, cleaned
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or other chile powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 9 cloves garlic, 4 cloves smashed and 5 cloves minced
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 sprigs thyme, leaves minced
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus extra for serving
• 1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, crushed
• Ice for ice bath
• Bread or pasta, for serving
• Chopped parsley, for serving

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 139ºF (59ºC).
2. Prepare the squid by separating the tentacles from the bodies. Slice the bodies into 1-inch thick rings. Transfer the bodies and the tentacles to a medium bowl and season with cayenne, salt, and pepper.
3. Combine seasoned squid with olive oil and crushed garlic cloves in a large zipper lock bag. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique.
4. Place the squid in the water bath and set the timer for 1 hour. When the timer goes off, check on the squid. If it is tender, remove the bag from the water bath. If the shrimp is still rubbery, re-seal the bag, return it to the water bath, and set the timer for 1 additional hour.
5. About 20 minutes before the timer goes off, prepare the sauce: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Sauté until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and stir to emulsify the butter. Simmer the tomato sauce until slightly thickened, 7 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Set aside until the squid is ready.
6. A few minutes before the timer goes off, prepare an ice bath by filling a medium bowl with ice. Add water until the ice moves freely.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath and immediately place in the ice bath. Let chill for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Remove the squid from the bag and save the cooking liquid.
3. Return the tomato sauce to medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the squid and toss until warmed. Add a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid, to taste.
4. Serve with crusty bread or tossed with cooked pasta, sprinkled with red pepper flakes and chopped parsley.