Klamari Mimli (Stuffed Calamari)
Maltese stuffed calamari filled with breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, capers, olives, and tentacles, simmered in tomato sauce.
Ingredients
- 8 medium calamari, cleaned, tentacles reserved
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 100g fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped
- 50g olives, chopped
- Small handful fresh parsley, chopped
- 400g chopped tomatoes
- 120ml white wine
- Salt and black pepper to taste
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