Roasted Calamari with Garlic, New Potatoes, and Chickpeas

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Roasted Calamari with Garlic, New Potatoes, and Chickpeas
Photo: John Kernick
Servings:
6

Calamari lend sophistication to robust ingredients like new potatoes and garlic.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ pounds new potatoes (about 11), halved if large

  • Coarse salt

  • 1 ¾ pounds calamari (bodies and tentacles), rinsed and dried

  • 1 cup canned drained chickpeas, rinsed

  • ½ cup pitted green olives

  • ¼ cup fresh oregano, coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish

  • 8 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted or ground, or 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • ¾ teaspoon smoked sweet paprika

  • Freshly ground pepper

  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling (optional)

  • ¾ cup water

  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

  • 8 ounces day-old rustic bread, crust removed, bread torn into 2-inch pieces

  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

  1. Put potatoes into a saucepan, and cover with water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, and add 1 teaspoon salt. Cook potatoes until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, and let cool.

  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a kitchen mallet, pound both sides of calamari bodies a few times to tenderize, then cut in half crosswise, or into thirds if large. (Leave tentacles whole, or halve if large.)

  3. Toss together calamari, chickpeas, potatoes, olives, half the oregano, the garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and 3 tablespoons oil in a shallow 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Add water and lemon juice. Cover with parchment and then foil, and cut about six vents. Bake 30 minutes.

  4. Meanwhile, toss bread, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a pinch of pepper, and remaining oregano and 3 tablespoons oil.

  5. Uncover baking dish, and sprinkle with bread mixture. Cook, uncovered, until bread is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with oregano, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with oil if desired, and serve with lemon wedges.

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