Rellenong Pusit in Tomato Sauce (Stuffed Squid)

Rellenong Pusit in Tomato Sauce (Stuffed Squid)

Rellenong Pusit in tomato sauce or Stuffed Squid , “relleno” is the Spanish word for stuffed. This Filipino dish is similar to Rellenong bangus or stuffed milkfish. The uncooked large squids will be stuffed with cooked ground pork or steamed fish, minced potatoes, carrots and raisins. It can be cooked fried, grilled or with sauce. I like it with sauce.   

It has been part of Filipino cuisine creating dishes with stuffing, some of the famous stuffed dishes that we have, which I like them all also are; Rellenong Bangus, Pork Roullade, Chicken Galantina, and Rellenong Alimasag. Later, when I cooked these dishes I will share them also.

Traditionally, it is stuffed with ground pork, on this recipe I use fish, yellow tail fusilier or dalagang bukid as my stuffing or you can use any white flesh fish of your choice. I like to use fish on this dish as I find the ground pork is a bit heavy for squid and another reason is health reason. The squid itself is already high in cholesterol plus the pork that is too sinful already, I am not saying that we do not eat pork we still love to eat pork, it is just our preference though.

I steamed the fish first then remove all the bones carefully and making sure there are all removed, shred them into pieces, while I am steaming the fish, I start frying the potatoes and carrots and prepare the ingredients needed for the sauce also, so that when the fish is cooked, everything is ready. If I used pork it will a lot easier as I only need to saute them all together but because I use fish so I have to add additional step. By all means please use ground pork procedure is the same.

If you love seafood, this is another dish that you can add to your collections. Hope you will like it. Happy cooking J

Rellenong Pusit in Tomato Sauce (Stuffed Squid) Recipe

Ingredients

·         2 large squids, cleaned and gutted and ink sacs remove

·         Meat of 2 meduim size steamed dalagang dukid (yellow tail fusilier or ½ lb ground pork)

·         1 medium carrot, diced or minced

·         1 medium onion, minced

·         4 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 medium tomato, diced

·         4 pcs calamansi (or 1 piece lemon)

·         ½ cup soy sauce

·         2 Tablespoon Oyster sauce (or 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce)

·         Salt and pepper to taste

·         2 piece eggs, beaten (separated)

·         ½ cup corn flour (corn starch)

·         10 tablespoons cooking oil

For the sauce:

·         1/2 cup tomato sauce

·         1 tbsp oyster sauce

·         1 tsp soy sauce

·         1 tsp grated ginger

·         salt and pepper to taste

·         1 tsp of sugar

·         1/2 cup water

Instructions:

For Squid Preparation:

1.   Mixed 3 calamansi and soy sauce then marinate the squid for at least 30 minutes.

 For the stuffing:

1.   Steam the fish for 20 minutes, cool it down and remove the fish bones 
2.   While the fish is steaming, fried the potatoes till cooked and then follow the carrots, set aside 

3.   Once the fish is ready, heat a pan with oil then saute garlic and onions till onions are transparent and garlic is cooked,

4.   Put the potatoes and carrots, stir, then put the shredded fish flesh, raisins, oyster sauce, salt and pepper, stir.

5.   Once, everything is mixed, turn off the heat then squeeze the remaining one calamansi and 1 egg beaten, mixed well. Cool down a bit.

6.   Drain the marinated squid, pat dry with kitchen towel. Scooped the stuffing one tablespoon at a time and stuffed in squid. Once the squid is filled use toothpicks to secure the filling and the squid head. Do this until all squids are stuffed.

7.   Dredge the squid to one egg beaten then to cornstarch, set aside.

8.   Heat a pan with enough oil to pan fry the squid. Pan fry the squids 3 minutes each side. Then set aside.

9.   In the same pan (still with the oil from frying the squids), add the tomato sauce, water and ginger. Season with soy sauce and oyster sauce. Add pepper and salt as needed. Then add sugar. Let simmer in medium heat. Then put back the stuffed squids again in the pan (with the sauce). Cover and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Remember: Do not overcook the squid. We want it soft.