Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Jeremy Sewall

Fiery red fresh pork chorizo stuffed into squid tubes over bright yellow rice makes a colorful main course. Use a good local chorizo sausage, like New England Charcuterie or Karl’s, or if you’re feeling like a project see Jeremy’s recipe below and make your own—something you’ll want to use for more than just stuffing squid!

Serves 4 as a main dish

1 pound tomatillos, husk removed and cut in half
1 small white onion, peeled and cut into quarters
2 jalapeños, cut in half lengthwise, seeds and stem removed
2 cloves garlic
extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup cilantro leaves, plus a few for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups white rice
3 cups vegetable stock
½ cup minced white onion
¼ cup minced red bell pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
12 cleaned squid tubes, all about the same size
1 pound fresh pork chorizo sausages (or see below for a recipe to make your own)

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Toss the tomatillos, onion and garlic with 3 tablespoons olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes or until browned at the edges. Remove and let cool completely. When cool, scrape mixture into a blender and add the cilantro and lime juice; purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan and add the onion, garlic and pepper; sauté until lightly browned. Add the turmeric and rice, stir in until the rice is covered with the turmeric. Add the vegetable stock, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cover with a lid; reduce heat to low and cook until liquid is absorbed. Remove lid and fluff with a fork.

Raise the oven temperature to 500°F. Remove the raw chorizo from its casing and divide into 12 portions; fill up each squid tube with pork, packing full but leaving enough space at the opening so it can almost be closed. Secure the ends with a toothpick so the chorizo stays in place while cooking.

Place the filled tubes in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the hot oven and cook for 5 minutes, then turn the heat down to 300°F and continue to cook for 12 minutes—make sure the pork is fully cooked through. Remove from the oven and carefully take out the toothpicks.

To serve, spoon the rice in the center of a serving platter and line up the squid down the center of the rice, all facing the same direction, if you like. Spoon a little salsa verde on top of each squid and transfer the rest to a serving bowl for the table. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve.

HOMEMADE CHORIZO

Makes 1 pound

1 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 clove chopped garlic
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and purée until well mixed. Chill or freeze until ready to use.

This recipe appeared in the Spring 2019 issue as part of a larger story on squid.