The puff pastry shells filled with squid salad are an original idea to serve an appetizer different from the usual.

It’s a perfect dish for every occasion: from Sunday lunches to fish dinners with friends, to special occasions like Christmas or New Year’s Eve.

They are beautiful to look at — you’ll make a great impression! — and delicious to eat: fresh and crumbly.

You can accompany them with ingredients of your choice (in my case I used squid salad, but feel free to vary as you prefer).
Don’t you think it’s a delicious idea?

A bit like parmesan baskets, you can prepare these shells using savory puff pastry (or brisée pastry): you’ll need special shell molds to bake them, and then you can fill them as you like.

Squids are versatile mollusks, suitable for preparing different courses: from a salad enjoyed as an appetizer or a main dish to a second course of stuffed squid.

Unlike calamari, they are less valuable and more affordable, which makes them perfect, for example, for a homemade light lunch.
For cooking the squid, our recipe suggests covering them with cold unsalted water, boiling them for 10 minutes from boiling, and once cooked, letting them cool in their broth.

To enjoy them in a salad, cut the bodies into rings and chop the tentacles. Combine them with parsley, olives, and lemon, season and serve!

Extra tip: Puff pastry shells are perfect baked in the oven, but you can achieve an excellent and even faster result using the air fryer (adjusting time and temperature based on your model).
We invite you to prepare it with us! Let us know what you think in the comments and send me photos of your magnificent puff pastry crowns.

Difficulty: Very Easy
Cost: Economical
Rest time: 30 Minutes
Preparation time: 20 Minutes
Cooking time: 40 Minutes
Portions: 8
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All Seasons

334.49 Kcal

calories per serving

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Energy 334.49 (Kcal)
Carbohydrates 19.78 (g) of which sugars 1.11 (g)
Proteins 11.82 (g)
Fat 23.43 (g) of which saturated 4.13 (g)of which unsaturated 14.23 (g)
Fibers 0.80 (g)
Sodium 636.30 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA^* and FoodData Central^** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.

^* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ^** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov

Ingredients for Puff Pastry Shells

1 puff pastry
to taste milk
1 egg yolk
1 kg squid (fresh but frozen is also fine)
1 lemon (juice)
to taste extra virgin olive oil
black olives (optional)
1 bunch parsley
Half clove garlic (optional)
peppers in oil (red optional)
salt

Tools

Baking Dishes
8 Molds
Pot
Bowl
Ceramic Beads
Parchment Paper
Brush

Steps for Puff Pastry Shells

Take the scallop shells, wash them and dry them well.
Roll out a prepared sheet of puff pastry.
Cut pieces large enough to cover the inside of the shells.
Brush the inside of the shells with oil, then place the pastry pieces on top, shaping them very well.
Cover with pieces of parchment paper and insert ceramic beads. (If you don’t have beads, use dried chickpeas)
(This prevents them from rising during cooking).
(If you don’t have scallop shells, shape the pastry yourself)
Before baking, brush the shells with a beaten egg yolk mixed with a little milk for a perfect and even browning.
Traditional Oven Cooking

Preheat the oven to 350 °F (static).
Place the shells on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden.

Air Fryer Cooking

Preheat the air fryer to 392 °F.
Place the shells in the basket in a single layer.
Cook for 8-12 minutes. Check after the first 7 minutes, as times may vary depending on the model.
Gut the squid; remove the beak and eyes; detach the tentacle tufts from the bodies.
(With your hands, remove the head, extract the transparent cartilage. Wash the inner sac thoroughly under running water to remove any internal residues. Remove the skin and two side fins. Rinse well and on a cutting board, cut them into rings).
Place bodies and tentacles in a large saucepan, cover them with cold unsalted water and boil for 10 minutes from the boiling point, then turn off the heat and let them cool in their broth.
Drain the squid, slice the bodies into rings, chop the tentacles and collect everything in a small bowl.
Prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, mix the finely chopped parsley, the minced garlic, a little salt, two tablespoons of oil, and the filtered lemon juice.
At this point, let’s compose the squid salad, combine the squid and olives cut in half in a bowl, and season with the dressing.
For more color, I added julienned peppers in oil.
Mix well and place in the fridge at least an hour before serving.
Take the shells; they must be nicely cold.
Take the squid salad out of the fridge and fill the shells.
With a spoon, fill the shells.
Decorate according to your taste and preference!
Enjoy your meal.

Advice

If you want, you can prepare the shells a day in advance and store them.

The same goes for the squid salad, which can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

Squid, depending on preparation, have a short or very long cooking time. In the case of the salad, about 15 minutes are enough, while for stewing at least 30 minutes are required.

Preservation

Squid is a highly perishable food. If freshness is not guaranteed, it is absolutely advisable to buy it frozen.

Fresh or thawed squid should be stored in the refrigerator, in the shelf dedicated to meat and fish, or at the lowest possible temperatures. If the storage temperature or time is excessive, the squid acquires an unpleasant sulfur odor; although not entirely linked to bacterial proliferation, this inconvenience makes the food no longer edible.

Curiosity

Puff pastry shells are extremely versatile containers! If squid salad is not for you, these crumbly bases are great for hosting any creamy or tasty filling.

Tuna or Salmon Mousse (for an elegant and smooth appetizer).

Shrimp Cocktail (a classic always appreciated).

Creamy Ricotta and Herbs (a fresh and light vegetarian option).

Liver Pâté (for those who love more intense flavors)

Wine Suggestions

Sparkling wines are always a winning choice for appetizers.

Prosecco DOCG (Valdobbiadene or Conegliano) – Fresh, light, and with floral hints. Perfect for aperitif.

Franciacorta or Trento DOC Brut – For a more elegant touch and a finer, more persistent bubble.

Still White Wine Options.

Vermentino di Sardegna DOC SardiniaVery aromatic, with a salty finish reminiscent of the sea. Perfect for seafood salad.

Inzolia or Grillo SicilyFruity but dry wines, with a good softness that envelops the squid without covering it.

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC MarcheStructured, but with a marked freshness and a characteristic slightly bitter finish that cleans the palate.

Soave Classico DOC VenetoFresh, mineral, and with a clean taste. A delicate and refined pairing.

Notes and Storage

Once baked and cooled, the shells are especially vulnerable to humidity.
This is the most important step. Allow the shells to cool completely on a pastry rack (not on a plate), so that air can circulate underneath. This prevents the formation of condensation that would make them soft.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container, placing parchment paper between the layers if you need to stack them.

Avoid the refrigerator! The cold and humid environment quickly softens puff pastry.
Consume within 24-48 hours of baking for maximum crispness.

This is the secret to preventing the moisture from the filling from affecting the puff pastry.
Fill the shells no more than 30 minutes before serving. The longer they stay in contact with a moist filling (like dressed squid salad), the softer they become.
The squid salad should be perfectly drained of excess dressing (oil, lemon, cooking broth). Use a fine mesh strainer just before filling.
For extra protection, you can create a thin insulating barrier on the inner bottom of the shell.

You can use:
A very thin layer of creamy spreadable cheese (like goat cheese or ricotta).
A touch of neutral gelatin (if the filling is sweet).
In this case, a light layer of creamy cheese or slightly softened butter can work to repel the squid’s moisture.
If you follow these tips, especially the last-minute filling and the perfect draining of the filling, your shells will remain intact and crispy until serving time!

Tips for Other Recipes

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