The closest that most people come to squid is calamari in a restaurant. Usually these are just rings, breaded and deep fried. I don’t have anything against squid in this way, as I quite often have it as a starter when ever I get the chance, but buying squid with all the wiggly bits and cooking it yourself is so much better.
I’m sure that lots of people are put off of squid and other cephalopods such as cuttlefish and octopus because of their strange and scary looks, but squid is a fairly cheap seafood and is it really easy to prepare and quick to cook.
Most squid that you can buy will have been frozen already, including the ‘fresh’ squid at the fish counter, that has been de-frosted already for you. Most of the time you’ll find that the squid you buy has been cleaned and the beak and pen have already been removed. However it would be best to just give them a little rinse under some water before using. Also you might find that you’ve been cheated of the tentacles, but they are probably just hiding inside the squid body (mantle).
Ingredients
- 1lb (450g) of squid
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 tsp of paprika
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp of lemon or lime juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Clean and pat dry the squid.
Cleaned squid
- You can cut the body into rings or leave them whole. Remove any super long tentacles if you want. It just makes them slightly easier to handle. Add the squid to a bowl and mix together with the olive oil, paprika, garlic, juice and salt and pepper. Thread the pieces of squid onto skewers. You may have to twist the tentacles around the skewers to prevent them dangling down too much.
Marinated squid
- Cook the squid for about 3mins each side over a high barbeque or under a high grill (broiler). The tentacles should curl up and start to char a little.
Squid grilling on the barbecue
- Serve while hot with a squeeze of lime.
Simple Grilled Squid
