Squid on the bbq takes me straight back to the Mediterranean. There's something about the char, the curl, that pineapple-cut catching the heat just right, that feels like standing on a beach in Greece with a glass of something cold. The dressing here is dead simple, fresh peppers, tomato, chilli, good vinegar, great olive oil, and it does everything the dish needs. This is the kind of cooking I love most. Nothing complicated. Just really good ingredients, treated well.
Ingredients
Serves 2
For the squid
2 whole squid, cleaned
2 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp fine breadcrumbs
For the dressing
1 fresh pepper, finely diced
1 tomato, finely diced
1 red chilli, finely sliced
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (basil or coriander also work)
1 tbsp good quality white wine vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
To serve
1 lemon, cut into wedges
A handful of rocket
Method
1. Prepare the squid
Open up the squid body and remove the fins. On the inside of the squid, score a crisscross pattern, just deep enough to cut through the surface without going all the way through. Think of the skin of a pineapple. Cut down the middle, then into four pieces each.
2. Marinate
Toss the squid pieces in the olive oil, a good pinch of salt, and a very light dusting of breadcrumbs. You're not coating it, just adding a few crunchy nuggets for texture on the grill.
3. Make the dressing
Combine the pepper, tomato, chilli and parsley in a bowl. Add the vinegar and olive oil, season with salt, and stir together. Set aside.
4. Get the bbq ready
Make sure your barbecue is really hot. The coals should be white with no flare-ups. Close any vents you have. The heat needs to be steady and intense.
5. Grill the squid
Place the squid pineapple-cut side down on the grill and leave it. Don't move it. Wait until you see a golden, crisp finish forming at the edges, around 4 to 5 minutes.
6. Turn and finish
Flip the squid. It will curl naturally into a tube as it finishes cooking, sometimes a little encouragement with your tongs is needed. Tuck a charred tentacle back inside each piece on the plate if you like, it looks just like a whole squid.
7. Dress and serve
Spoon the fresh pepper dressing straight over the hot squid. Serve with a wedge of lemon and a handful of peppery rocket on the side.
The dressing is very forgiving. Swap parsley for basil or coriander depending on what you have. The vinegar is important though, use something you'd actually want to taste. A good white wine vinegar makes all the difference.
