The fishmonger always announces his specials at first instance and today it was squids. I took one look and shook my head. They were a foot long! He was very convincing and assured me that it didn't take long to cook and wasn't tough at all. It is overcooking that actually makes it tough. Persuaded, I chose two small ones (about 8" long).
There was only one thing I could think of making. My husband and I once ate some delicious grilled marinated squid and although it was always brought up in our conversations, I have never ventured into cooking it.
The task of cleaning the squid wasn't hard at all. After cleaning, I split it on one side to make a flat piece; then I made shallow slashes on the underside to form a crisscross pattern. This not only makes it tender but also traps the seasonings. It makes it so pretty, too. A brief stint on the barbeque produced the most delicious and tender squid I've ever eaten. I'm going to do this again.
500 gms. or 2 pcs. of medium sized squid
juice of 1/2 lime
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 tsp. chopped red chillies
1 stalk of spring onion, chopped
1 tbsp. fish sauce
2 tbsps. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
peanuts, chopped
coriander leaves, chopped
Method:
Clean the squid: take the head off and make a cut above the eyes. Keep the tentacles but the rest can be discarded. Rub off the pink membrane from the body. Split one side of the squid and discard everything that's inside it. You are now left with one piece of the body and the tentacles. With a sharp knife, make shallow diagonal slashes on the inner side of the squid's body. Then make slashes going the opposite way to create a crisscross pattern.
Mix all of the marinade ingredients together, except for the peanuts and coriander leaves, and add in the squid.
Pre-heat the grill or barbecue. It should be really hot before you start cooking. Put the squid's body, uncut side down first. It only to takes 2-3 minutes to cook one side. The sweet marinade will caramelize and the squid will turn opaque. Turn it over and cook the other side. Turn the tentacles as well.
Cut into portions before serving. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and chopped coriander leaves before serving.
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the recipe is almost similar to asian cusine. Looks nutritious I love eating grilled seafood with vinegar sauce and lots of cooked rice =) though I know it is not healthy to eat to much carbo I only lessen my rice into 1/2 cup and never ask for more lol.
ReplyDeleteHi Adora! I love squid, and I love your recipe with fish sauce!!! I never combined fish sauce with turmeric so I'm very excited about learning new combination here. What a great recipe!!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, I must say you're very brave for attempting to prep that giant squid! But the neat criss-crosses and toppings make the whole dish look so incredible, I think I may have to get over my fear of big squids and try this recipe out... I always get hungry when I visit you, Adora!
ReplyDeleteFishmonger finding = respect!! Way to venture out of your comfort box, and you did it with style! Nice work!
ReplyDeleteGreat job on the squid, Adora! The crisscross pattern gave the squid more appeal!
ReplyDeleteBtw, I included Adora's Box on my "Foodies I ♥" page. Hope it's ok with you...:)
Thank you so much, Tina. Of course it's more than ok.
ReplyDeleteDelightful. Great flavor profile and lovely presentation.
ReplyDeleteGlad I found your blog, look forward to following you here.
OMG, I love squids! In fact, just had them at a BBQ. Your recipe looks good :)
ReplyDeleteI love your recipe and the criss cross pattern is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIf they taste only half as good as that picture looks ... I'll be ordering them next time I visit your restaurant:) Jokes apart, that sounds like a really great way to prepare squid.
ReplyDeleteMy friends and I used to love grilling squid as it is so tasty and delicious. I really like your marinade with the ground turmeric.
ReplyDeleteThat looks so good. I personally love squid but I have been to chicken to try it at home.
ReplyDelete