A well-balanced and delicate appetizer that brings out the best of each ingredient, in particular the flavorful and succulent Toritto Almonds, paired perfectly with squid: here is the recipe for Squid with Toritto Almonds, and Spring Onion, created by Michelin-starred chef Felice Sgarra of the Casa Sgarra restaurant in Trani, Puglia.
Recipe: Squid with Toritto Almonds, and Spring Onion
For the squid
Ingredients for four people
For the squid
For the spring onion
For the almond mousse
For fresh almonds
For the black ink
Procedure for the recipe
For the squid
Clean the squid, removing the insides and saving the black part (the inner ink sac); carve the inside of the squid with a sharp knife, taking care not to divide it. Place in the refrigerator with ice. Put the head and wings of the squid in a saucepan with ice and cook over high heat until the ice melts. Halve the water in the broth: the result will be a pink broth, free of oil but rich in the intense aroma.
For the spring onion
Clean the shallot and spring onion and then cut into julienne strips. Brown everything in a non-stick frying pan with a thin layer of evo oil; add the squid stock and let it gradually absorb everything: the result should be a soft and pulpy mixture.
For the almond mousse
Combine the ingredients in a steel saucepan; place over medium heat for a few minutes and, using a mini blender, blend at a light centrifugal force, avoiding foaming the mixture. Sift it and place it in the siphon; close carefully and load with two vials of nitrogen. Keep warm in a bain-marie.
For fresh almonds
Soak the almonds overnight and then peel them one by one.
For the black ink
Mix ingredients together, blend with immersion blender until thick. Pour a tablespoon of the mixture into a preheated non-stick pan and wait for the water to evaporate completely, leaving a crispy lattice on the bottom.
Finishing the appetizer
Blanch the squid in water at 90 °C for about thirty seconds, then drain, fill with the spring onion and fresh almonds. Char the squid with a blowtorch over high heat and spray with smoked vinegar. Serve with the almond sauce, then the seared squid, finishing with the black ink and grated fresh almonds. Garnish with some green leaves and a drizzle of oil and the appetizer is ready to serve.