SQUID WITH GRILLED POLENTA AND COLLARD GREENS

Squid With Grilled Polenta And Collard Greens image

Provided by Moira Hodgson

Time 1h30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

2 pounds squid
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups Italian plum tomatoes, with their juice
1 cup polenta
1 large bunch collard greens
Snipped basil or Italian parsley to garnish
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Steps:

Clean the squid. Hold the sac with one hand and with the other reach inside and pull away the head and tentacles. With your fingers, scrape away the dark skin on the outside of the sac under cold running water. It will come away easily. Inside the sac is a transparent cartilage that acts as though it is made of plastic. Pull this out and discard it. Thoroughly rinse inside the sac. Cut the tentacles from the head above the eyes. Reserve the tentacles and discard everything else. Cut the squid in rings a quarter of an inch wide. Cut the tentacles in half. Rinse everything several times under cold running water.
Heat two tablespoons olive oil and gently sautee the onion, 1 clove garlic and pepper flakes until the onion is soft but not brown.
Add the squid. Add the wine and tomatoes and salt and pepper and cook for 45 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, boil six cups water in a saucepan and add the polenta. Cook for three minutes, stirring frequently to get rid of all the lumps. Turn into a square or rectangular tin and cool. Preheat grill or broiler.
After the squid has cooked for 45 minutes, check the sauce. If it is very liquid, continue cooking uncovered for a further 15 minutes. If too dry, add a little water and cook covered.
Meanwhile, cut the stems from collard greens. Steam leaves five minutes or until wilted. Drain and refresh under cold water. Set aside.
Turn the polenta out of the tin, cut into slices about 2 by 4 inches, place on foil and broil on each side until lightly browned. While the polenta is browning, heat the remaining olive oil and lightly sautee the remaining garlic. Add the greens and stir-fry for three minutes. Place the squid in a heated serving dish and garnish with parsley or basil. Arrange the greens around the squid and place the polenta slices on top. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 525, UnsaturatedFat 11 grams, Carbohydrate 47 grams, Fat 14 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 40 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 1053 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams