Grilled Calamari

Copyright 2013 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

Calamari or squid is an enigma of sorts for some people. A friend of mine has never tasted squid ever which to me is quite unusual and so I tried easing her into the succulent world of the squid. Fresh calamari breaded and fried and served in a brown bag in an upscale restaurant in Bozeman Montana was the venue for this new experience and her only comment was that it was rather rubbery. However, I had to finish the whole bag for her so I didn't really mind that much. It was expensive to order a calamari dish in Bozeman which is situated high up in the mountains of the the Bridger mountain range and considering we were in a steak house, I was happy to oblige. 

Copyright 2013 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

When I went home last year, I posted a couple of recipes including squid cooked in its own ink and a grilled stuffed squid as well. However, I was not happy with the quality of the pictures that I took even though the recipes were okay. I then took the chance to remake them and repost the recipes all over again since summer is almost here and squid is quite plentiful in the market. Today was no exception and priced at around 2$ per pound, they are wonderfully plump and juicy once grilled. The smaller ones are better cooked in an adobo dish but for the bigger ones, grilling or deep frying is definitely the way to go. 

Grilled Calamari

2 lbs fresh squid
2 tomatoes, diced
1 large onion, diced
salt and pepper

1. Clean the squid by removing the gladius along its spine. Remove the beak 
    by pinching the head of the squid in between the eyes until the beak pops 
    out. 

2.  Season the onions and tomatoes with salt and pepper and stuff the cavity 
     of the squid. Secure with toothpicks to ensure the head does not fall off. 

3. Season with more salt and pepper and grill over hot charcoals until the 
    squid is no longer opaque and inky liquid starts to ooze out from the 
    cavity. 

4. Serve immediately.