Squid Cups Stuffed With Crabmeat And Bacon

• 1 1/2 pounds Baby squid tubes, cleaned, tentacles reserved for another purpose
• 1/4 cup flour, seasoned with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 slices bacon or 6 slices pancetta, chopped
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped fine
• 1/4 large fennel bulb, chopped fine
• 4 ounces lump crabmeat
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 tablespoons Fresh parsley, minced
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup Panko flakes
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 10 grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup good Parmeggiano Reggiano cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven to 350'
2. Slice through the calamari tubes on one side to create a flat piece. Thoroughly dry each piece and set aside on a plate - do not overlap.
3. Dredge each piece in the seasoned flour and place on a plate - do not overlap, they'll stick like crazy. Lesson learned. Set the floured squid pieces aside.
4. Make the stuffing: Saute the bacon in a scant teaspoon of the olive oil until just starting to crisp at the edges. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
5. Put the onion in the pan and saute for about five minutes, adding another tsp of olive oil if needed. Add the carrots and chopped fennel and cook another four or five minutes until the vegetables are cooked but still have a little crunch left in them. Remove the mixture to a bowl to cool, and add the drained cooked bacon.
6. Once the vegetables have cooled, add the crabmeat, garlic, crushed fennel seeds, oregano, parsley, eggs, fish sauce, hot sauce and panko flakes to the bowl and mix with a fork. Season to taste if needed. The fish sauce and hot sauce act at salt and pepper here, so use them to correct the seasoning.
7. Add 2 TBL olive oil to the pan, and heat until the oil is hot but not smoking. Brown the calamari tubes quickly on both sides and remove to a plate. They will curl up into little scoops, or cups at this point.
8. Add the wine and tomatoes to the pan, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, about five minutes.
9. Meanwhile, scoop about a TBL of stuffing into each calamari cup, and place them in an oiled baking dish. I found a melon ball scoop or rounded spoon works well.
10. Drizzle the wine/tomato sauce over the stuffed calamari and bake for about 15 minutes. Turn on the broiler, top each stuffed calamari with a few shreds of the cheese, and broil about 3-4" from the heat for two or three minutes, with the oven door open, until the cheese melts and starts to bubble.
11. Serve immediately. These are also good drizzled with a little good balsamic vinegar.

squid tubes, flour, bacon, olive oil, onion, carrot, fennel bulb, lump crabmeat, clove of garlic, fennel seeds, oregano, fresh parsley, eggs, fish sauce, hot sauce, white wine, grape tomatoes, reggiano cheese

Taken from food52.com/recipes/11626-squid-cups-stuffed-with-crabmeat-and-bacon (may not work)