Portuguese Squid Stew in a Aromatic Tomato Sauce

It’s one of those fabulous dishes that’s so wonderfully simple, and a delicious way to cook some tender squid, I could whip up this gorgeous stew in no time! This classic Portuguese dish, “Lulas Guisadas à Portuguesa” or Portuguese Squid Stew in a Aromatic Tomato Sauce, is the perfect example of how Portuguese cuisine transforms humble ingredients into something truly spectacular.

Squid is a bit like octopus when it comes to cooking – you either need to cook it very quickly or let it simmer for a good long while to achieve that perfect tenderness. This recipe takes the longer, more forgiving route, allowing the squid to slowly become melt-in-your-mouth tender while soaking up all those incredible flavours from the sauce. The beauty of this dish lies in its versatility too you can serve it simply with buttered rice, or turn it into a hearty “caldeirada” (Portuguese potato stew) by adding potatoes right into that luscious sauce near the end.

Since today we’re celebrating All Saints Day on November 1st, what better way to honor this traditional Portuguese holiday than with an authentic recipe that brings families together around the dinner table? This comforting stew, with its rich tomato base, aromatic garlic, and that secret splash of beer, represents everything wonderful about Portuguese home cooking, it’s unpretentious, deeply satisfying and easy to make. Whether you’re using fresh squid from the market or frozen ones from your freezer, this recipe will transport you straight to a Portuguese kitchen, lets check the recipe!

Portuguese Squid Stew in a Aromatic Tomato Sauce

Servings: 4-8
Time: 2hr 30mins
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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This an absolute Portuguese classic, this stew is the perfect way to cook squid until melt in your mouth perfecting... and the sauce is perfect to soak with some rustic bread, its a must try recipe for sure!

Ingredients

Rice – 1 cup
Butter – 1 knob
Squid – 300g +/- 8
Onion – 1
Garlic – 3 cloves
Red Peppers – 1
Tomato Pulp – 150ml
Beer – 250ml (Lager/Pilsner, such as Sagres)
Red Pepper Paste – 1 Teaspoon
Bay Leaf – 1 Leaf
Parsley – A Pinch
Olive Oil – As Needed
Pepper – A Pinch
Salt – A Pinch

Directions

Start by sautéing in a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil, add the finely chopped onion and garlic, and sauté until the onion is golden brown.
Then add the tomato pulp, chopped red pepper, red pepper paste, bay leaf, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked through.
Meanwhile, prepare the squid, which should be cleaned and sliced into rings, then add to the pan with the beer, cook over medium-low heat until the squid is tender, taste the sauce, and adjust the seasoning, it will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
For the rice, pour the rice into a small saucepan with a drizzle of olive oil, fry a little, then add a pinch of salt and cover with 2 cups of hot water. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to low heat. When tender, remove from heat and season with a knob of butter.
When ready to serve, taste the sauce again and add a little chopped parsley, mix and it is ready to serve with the rice. Bon appétit!

Notes: If you don’t have red pepper paste, use soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce, which also help to enhance the umami flavour of the dish and make the sauce more delicious. Note that this recipe often does not include beer or red pepper and uses a bit of chili pepper (malagueta), but I didn’t have any, so I didn’t add it.

Take the times to cook the squid i give you as a recommendation, it depends a lot on the squid thickness, it can go from 30 minutes to very young thin squid to 1 or even 2 hours if the squid is really thick with large tentacles, also while cutting the squid don’t cut too thinly because while cooking it will shrink a bit.

This recipe for Portuguese Squid Stew in a Aromatic Tomato Sauce was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Lulas Guisadas à Portuguesa foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.