Entree: France – Basque Country – Chipirons à la Luzienne (Basque-style baby squid stewed in onion, white wine, tomato, and Espelette pepper)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 15 min

Cook 20 min

Total 35 min

Ingredients

- 1 lb (450 g) baby squid, cleaned
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 2 tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced, approx. 8 oz (225 g)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced, approx. 0.7 oz (20 g)
- 1 cup (240 g) ripe tomatoes, diced (or 1 cup canned diced tomatoes)
- 1 tbsp (15 g) tomato paste
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) fish stock or low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground Espelette pepper or 1 tsp (2 g) smoked paprika if Espelette unavailable
- 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt, adjust to taste
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp (8 g) fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
- Crusty bread or steamed rice for serving

Instructions

1. Pat the baby squid dry and set aside. Heat the olive oil and butter in a wide sauté pan over medium heat until butter is foaming.
2. Add the sliced onion and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and beginning to caramelize, about 8–10 minutes.
3. Stir in the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste and cook 3–4 minutes to soften the tomatoes.
4. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Add the stock, bay leaf, Espelette pepper, salt and black pepper; bring to a gentle simmer and cook 6–8 minutes to marry flavors and slightly reduce the sauce.
5. Increase heat to medium-high, add the baby squid, and simmer gently until the squid is just tender, 4–6 minutes (do not overcook or it will become rubbery).
6. Remove the bay leaf, stir in the lemon juice, adjust seasoning, and finish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately with crusty bread or rice to soak up the sauce.