Baby squid with onions with pochas and clams

You will agree with me that the good weather calls you to use the wok more, in those fast and healthy cooking, and that if you also add the aromas of the sea, then you get an ideal recipe for summer, which is coming soon! That's why Carmen, author of the Yerbabuena en la Cocina blog, invites us to try today with this recipe that will fit you for sure!

Years ago the curiosity of Asian culture for certain Spanish customs caught my attention, I did not understand how they could feel something so ours as their own. It seemed unnatural to see an Asian dressed and dancing flamenco…. How wrong was I! They have had to spend many years to understand that what enriches the human being is having that ability to relate to other cultures.

As many of you know, I love Asian cuisine, Thai cuisine drives me crazy with its curries and coconut milk-based sauces, Japanese cuisine with its raw fish, Chinese cuisine with the balance between its five basic flavours, that is, the sweet, the salty, the sour, the bitter and the umami, the Indonesian cuisine, etc.

And said this and as a joke, with this dish today I wanted to wink at Asian culture, this time I am the one who puts on a kimono to prepare a traditional recipe of Spanish cuisine, in a utensil so typical of the asian as is this wok .

The wok is a kind of pan with a rounded bottom, widely used throughout Southeast Asia and the Far East. It is used in a versatile way and allows frying, cooking and even steaming, all in a healthy way, using less oil and helping food to maintain all its properties.

I have used the one from Le Creuset, which, as you well know, is a brand that is a symbol of quality: for the manufacture of this wok, they have opted for cast iron which, among other advantages, distributes the heat evenly, preserves the temperature, allowing several zones cooking and prevents oxidation.

In the photo, olive wood board from Bérard , Pallarès carbon steel knife and iron Wok from Le Creuset

Ingredients

• 500g baby squid
• 2 onions
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 splash of white wine
• Chopped parsley
• 1 Jar of pochas or cooked beans
  200g clams
• 200g clams
• 1 chilli
• White pepper
• Salt

Elaboration

1. To cook in a wok it is convenient to have all the ingredients prepared and ready to be used, since cooking in it is usually short.
2. Clean the cuttlefish and dry them with absorbent paper to prevent them from cooking instead of sautéing. We put the clams in a bowl with water and salt half an hour before, so that they release any sand they might have.
3. Cut the onion into julienne strips and finely chop the garlic. We wash the pochas with cold water and put them to drain in a colander.
4. In a casserole we put the clams with a little water and steam them open, removing them from the heat as they open. We reserved once open.
5. We put a little oil in the wok and heat over high heat and when it starts to smoke, we move it to distribute it on the sides. Then add the cuttlefish and sauté them for a few minutes on both sides; depending on the size we will have more or less time, but in general a few minutes are enough. We take out and reserve.
6. Add three tablespoons of olive oil to the wok and add the onion and garlic, playing a bit with the heat, raising and lowering it to soften and brown a little but without burning. If we like spicy, it is time to add the chilli.
7. Then add the beans and fry for a few minutes along with the onions, add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
8. Add the squid and clams, season with salt and pepper and let cook for 3 or 4 more minutes so that all the flavors are well integrated. Remove from heat and sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately.