Calamari with Blackened Tomato

Calamari with Blackened Tomato, originally uploaded by Kim De.

I am sure you are not surprised to see calamari on my menu. Bo wasn't either. I think he is quite please with this new obsession of mine!

To continue with my craving for all flavors Mexican, I opened Tacos by Mark Miller. So far, everything from that book has been a winner and the calamari recipe looked no different.

One of the things I am enjoying about this book is the bold flavors made with small amounts of ingredients. Simplicity inducing mouth-watering reactions. My favorite.

I made one tiny adjustment in that I served the seafood over brown basmati rice instead of in a taco. I can assure you this was a great way to do this, but please try the taco an let me know how it was!

It may be a few days before my next post - my sick computer is going into the hospital and I haven't tried loading pictures into Bo's laptop, so we will see. No worries, though. Many more recipes on the horizon, lots to tell you when I return!

Calamari with Blackened Tomato (Adapted from Tacos by Mark Miller)

1/4 olive oil (preferably Spanish)
1/2 small white onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 1/2 lbs calamari, cleaned and washed, body sliced into 1/4 inch rings and tentacles left whole if small
1 large tomato, blackened and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 jalapeno chie, dry roasted and chopped
2 cloves garlic, dry roasted and chopped
3/4 t salt
3 t chipotle chile powder (you can substitute regular chile powder if you cant find chipotle)
1 1/2 T chopped fresh cilantro
12 (5 1/2 inch) soft corn tortillas

Blackened Tomatoes
Remove the stem, but keep the tomato whole. Blacken, turning frequently, in a single layer in a cast-iron or heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, or on a baking sheet under a broiler until charred and blistered on all sides, about 20 minutes in a skillet or 5 minutes under the broiler.

Dry Roasted Chiles and Garlic
Place unpeeled cloves in a dry cast-iron or heavy bottomed skillet and roast over low heat until the garlic softens, 30-40 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally. Or roast in an oven at 350 until soft, 20-30 minutes. When done the garlic should be creamy and sweet, soft enough to slip out of the skin when you squeeze the clove.

Place the chiles in a hot cast-iron or heavy bottom skillet and cook, turning every 5 minutes until all sides are evenly blistered.

Taco Filling
In a skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat and saute the diced onion until it begins to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onion to a small saucepan and add the calamari, tomato, jalapeno, garlic, salt, chile powder and cilantro. Let the mixture come to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until barely done, about 7 minutes (don't overcook or the calamari will be rubbery). Remove from heat and serve immediately, folding in warmed tortillas or over rice.