Klamari Mimli (Stuffed Calamari)
Maltese stuffed calamari filled with breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, capers, olives, and tentacles, simmered in tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Have your ingredients ready? Go to instructionsMeasures: 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml. For local ingredient names and substitutions, see our guide to Maltese ingredients abroad.
Instructions
- Prepare the filling: Chop the calamari tentacles finely. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and cook half the onion with one clove garlic. Add the tentacles and cook briefly. Mix with breadcrumbs, capers, olives, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Stuff: Fill the calamari bodies loosely with the mixture and secure the openings with toothpicks.
- Start the sauce: Heat the remaining olive oil in a wide pan. Cook the remaining onion and garlic until soft. Add the wine and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Simmer: Add the chopped tomatoes, then nestle in the stuffed calamari. Cover and simmer gently for 35-40 minutes until tender.
- Serve: Remove toothpicks and serve with the tomato sauce.
Klamari Mimli are Maltese stuffed calamari, filled with breadcrumbs, garlic, herbs, capers, olives, and chopped tentacles, then gently cooked in tomato sauce. It is a generous seafood dish with a strong Mediterranean character.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with crusty bread
- Pair with spaghetti or rice
- Add a green salad on the side
- Spoon extra tomato sauce over each portion
Traditional Notes & Tips
- Do not overfill the calamari, as they shrink during cooking
- Gentle simmering keeps them tender
- Toothpicks help hold the filling in place
- Capers and olives add a Maltese savoury edge
- Small to medium calamari are easier to stuff