Stuffed squid

For the filling: Finely chop on a cutting board the tentacles and fins from the calamari and keep the bodies (the tubes) whole so you can stuff them later. Place a pan over high heat to get very hot. Pour the olive oil into the pan and add the chopped calamari. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and let them caramelize for 3–4 minutes. Be careful not to shake the pan so the calamari do not release moisture. On a second cutting board, finely chop the onion and add it to the pan. Slice the garlic, add it to the pan and stir with a spoon. Add the thyme to the pan and deglaze with the ouzo. Add the rice and the water, lower the heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Finely chop the parsley and dill and add them to the pan. Add the lemon zest and juice and stir with the spoon.
For the calamari: Preheat the oven to 180°C with the fan on. Fill the inside of the calamari with the stuffing, taking care not to overfill them, and close their opening with toothpicks so they don’t open while baking. Transfer the calamari to an ovenproof dish. Add the olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice and mix with your hands so the calamari are well marinated. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, place it in the oven and bake for 30 minutes on the top rack. Remove the dish from the oven, uncover it, return it to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and serve with parsley and lemon slices.