When I was little, my parents and I used to spend the month of July in the small Riviera town of Menton, near the border with Italy. Every morning, my dad would go to the market and bring home beautiful local products, including super fresh seafood. This calamari recipe was given to him by the fishmonger there, and I still make it in the summer, when the tomatoes are ripe and sweet, as it brings back childhood memories.

It is said that calamari have to be cooked either for a very short time or a much longer time, but not in between, otherwise it gets quite chewy. This recipe calls for a relatively long cooking time, so that the tomato sauce gets to cook thoroughly, resulting in a thick and rich sauce.

Ingredients (4-6 people)

2 pounds fresh calamari
4 garlic cloves
5 large ripe beefsteak tomatoes
Some fresh thyme and 2 bay leaves

Wash the calamari inside and out with cold water and remove the small bone inside if the fishmonger hasn't done so. Dry with a paper towel. Slice the calamari in small rings, about 0.5 cm wide.

Cut the tomatoes into 2 cm dices. Chop the garlic finely.

In a large pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Put the calamari into the pan and cook on high until they become white, about 2 minutes. A white/gray liquid should appear. Remove from the stove and pour the liquid into the sink. Put the calamari back on the stove on medium/high, add the diced tomatoes, chopped garlic, thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cook on medium for about 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are fully cooked and the sauce thickens. Taste the sauce along the way: if the tomatoes are not sweet enough, feel free to add about 1tbsp of honey to remove the acidity. Add more salt and pepper if necessary.

Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Serve with white rice.