José Gourmet Spiced Calamary in Ragout Sauce

José Gourmet built its reputation on tins that reward curiosity — and this is one of the more unusual in the range.

Atlantic and Pacific squid, slow-cooked in a ragout sauce spiced with pepper, clove and bay. It's a style of preparation closer to a Portuguese stew than a standard conserva, and the result is richer and more complex than anything olive oil alone would produce. The spices don't overpower — they deepen, giving the sauce a warmth that makes it as important as the squid itself.

The fish is tender and well-suited to the ragout; squid absorbs a sauce like this rather than fighting it. There's substance here, and a depth of flavour that makes the tin genuinely useful in the kitchen as well as straight from the can.

Spoon over steamed white rice and let the sauce do the work. Stir through linguine with a handful of fresh basil at the end. Or serve at room temperature with bread thick enough to mop the tin clean.

Per 100 g

Ingredients: Calamari (Loligo vulgaris) (63%), vegetable oil (19%), onion (8%), rice (4%), tomato (4%), spices — red pepper, cloves, bay (1.5%), salt.

Allergens: Contains molluscs.