The recipe for squid and potatoes Praianese style

Squid and potatoes are a typical Praianese dish, where the flavours of the land are skilfully combined with those of the local catch. Soft, tasty and with an unmistakable aroma, they are a real treat for the palate.
Squid and potatoes Praianese style are more than just a dish, they are a piece of history that has been handed down for generations. The town of Praiano, before it became known as a tourist destination, lived mainly on activities related to agriculture and fishing. And it is from these origins that the combination of seemingly distant ingredients was born. Cultivated on typical terraces, potatoes grow very dry thanks to the calcareous soil and the sun, a characteristic that enhances their use in this recipe. As for squid, in almost every household there was a fisherman who went out to sea every evening with his gozzo and a lampara and fished for these molluscs (squids live in the depths and are attracted to the surface by anything that is luminescent, so the night hours are the best for fishing them). The rest is down to the women of the house.
There are several restaurants in Praiano and on the Amalfi Coast where you can taste this delicious dish. For those who want to prepare it at home, here is the recipe. The secret to the success of the dish lies in respecting the cooking time and, of course, the freshness of the ingredients.
Ingredients for 4 persons
1 kilogram squid (strictly fresh)
500 grams of potatoes
1 glass of white wine
1 clove of garlic
extra virgin olive oil to taste
salt to taste
chilli pepper to taste
parsley to taste
Procedure
First clean the squid well and cut them into rounds of about 2 cm. Then peel the potatoes and cut them into not too large chunks. Once the squid and potatoes are ready, brown the garlic with the oil and chilli pepper in a non-stick frying pan. As soon as the garlic is a nice blond colour, remove it and add the squid and potatoes. Stir well and after a few minutes deglaze with white wine. When the wine has evaporated, add half a glass of water, cover with a lid and cook over a low flame for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, add the salt and chopped parsley and leave to cook for a few more minutes so that they can season and mix. Once ready, serve them piping hot.
Photo © La Bacheca Praiano