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Robert St. John

Restaurateur, author, enthusiastic traveler, & world-class eater.

Enzo’s Izimino

My friend and master olive oil producer and winemaker, Enzo Corti, loves this dish. His wife Annagloria made it for dinner one night as Wyatt, my wife Jill, and our friend, David joined them in their beautiful Tuscan villa for dinner. This is the real deal when it comes to eating squid in the Italian region of Tuscany. It’s probably Sicilian in origin, but perfect for Tuscan locals. My children prefer the fried version, but this is a more healthful, authentic preparation.

Ingredients

¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
1 ¼ tsp Crushed red pepper
1 Tbl Garlic, minced
2 Tbl Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 Tbl + ½ tsp Kosher salt
2 ½ lbs. Calamari, tentacles and sliced tubes
1 each – 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
2 cups Shrimp stock (see recipe)
2 bunches Swiss chard, stems removed and rough chopped
5 oz. Fresh spinach, stems removed and rough chopped

Instructions

In a 2 quart sauce pan, heat the oil over medium and sweat the garlic and the crushed red pepper for 2 minutes. Add the calamari, salt and parsley and continue cooking over medium heat until any excess liquid from the calamari has evaporated, about 6-8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Add the canned tomatoes, including the juice, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the shrimp stock and bring to a simmer. Add the Swiss chard and the spinach, reduce the heat to low. Cover and continue cooking for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not let all the stock evaporate. There should be about ½ cup of liquid left.

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