Pancetta & Veal Stuffed Calamari With Squid Ink Risotto

Place the fish stock into a pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Heat another pan until hot and add the butter and olive oil. Add the shallots and cook for a few minutes until softened, but not colored. Add the rice to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon until the rice is translucent and coated with the oil.

Add the wine and cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Add the squid ink and stir thoroughly with a wooden spoon to disperse the ink throughout the rice. Pour in the hot stock, a ladle at a time, and keep stirring until each ladleful is absorbed. Keep adding the stock, stirring as often as possible until the rice is tender, but still with a slight resistance to the bite - this should take about 20-25 minutes.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat add the 2 tablespoons olive oil, onion, pancetta and thyme. Cook for about 10 minutes until onions are soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool. In a mixing bowl, add the ground veal, breadcrumbs, eggs, milk, salt, pepper, pancetta and sautéed onions in large bowl until well blended.

Gently stuff each squid body with a slightly rounded tablespoon of bread-crumb mixture and pat squid to distribute filling evenly. Weave a wooden pick horizontally across wide opening of each squid to seal.

Heat remaining olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat and sauté squid, turning over once, until browned. Reduce the heat to medium low; add the fish stock and cover. Simmer until squid is tender about 5 minutes.

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add leeks; sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add cream and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon the squid ink risotto in a large pasta bowl. Ladle a good spoonful of creamy leeks on top of the risotto and top with stuffed calamari.