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| Squid grills on a plancha in minutes. Serve it with parsley-garlic aliño and a side of pipirrana tomato relish. |
I passed up my chance to lunch with the family at a chiringuito on the beach. I am so missing my summer fix of spit-roasted sardines and plancha-grilled squid. I will have to cook them at home.
Although I have eaten grilled squid in restaurants and tapa bars many a time, I somehow didn’t remember that it is usually grilled whole. I asked my fish lady to clean the squid and split it lengthwise, making a sort of squid cutlet instead of a tube. In fact, it’s easier to control the grilling if it’s a flat piece.
The classic accompaniment to grilled squid is garlic-parsley aliño, or dressing. I jazzed it up a bit with the addition of chile and cilantro. A chopped salad such as pipirrana of tomatoes, peppers, and onions doubles as a side dish and relish.
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| Slice the grilled squid and serve with pungent garlic-parsley oil. |
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| Side dish of pipirrana tomato-pepper salad doubles as a sauce. |
Grilled Squid
Calamar a la Plancha
A small squid (8 ounces before cleaning) cooks in 1 to 2 minutes. Take care not to overcook or it will toughen. Add lemon juice to the parsley aliño immediately before serving so that the acidic lemon doesn’t leach the color from the green parsley.
• Use paper towels to pat the squid dry.
• Turn on extractor fan; turn off smoke alarm.
• Heat the plancha very hot; oil lightly.
• Lay the squid on the plancha and do not move it until ready to turn.
• Cook on one side until it begins to brown. Turn and grill lightly on reverse side. Do not overcook or squid will become tough.
Squid, about 8 ounces each
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1-2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
Chile (optional)
¼ cup packed parsley and/or cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1/3 cup olive oil + more for the plancha
Table salt
Few drops of lemon juice (optional)
Clean the squid, discarding viscera, ink sac, cartilage, and beak. Save the tentacles and fin flaps. Cut the body pouch open lengthwise (or leave it whole). Place skin-side up on a cutting board and score the surface of the squid. Pat it dry with paper towels.
Place the coarse salt and garlic in a mortar and crush. Add the chile, if using, and the parsley. Pound to make a smooth green paste. Stir in the oil, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Heat a plancha or heavy skillet on high. Brush it with oil. Lay the squid body, scored-side down, on the plancha. Grill without moving until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. If squid tends to curl, press it down with a spatula or place a weight on top.
Turn the squid and grill the reverse side 30 seconds. Remove. Grill the tentacles and fins in the same manner. Sprinkle the squid with a little table salt. If desired, slice it into crosswise strips.
Stir the parsley oil and add the lemon juice, if using. Serve alongside the grilled squid.
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| Seaside chiringuito on the Costa del Sol, where grilled sardines and squid are a specialty. |
More recipes with squid:
Squid Stuffed with Meat (with how-to prep squid)
And, sardines: Grilled Sardines
More about plancha grilling.
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