Grilled Stuffed Calamari
It’s common to see fried calamari (squid) as an appetizer on menus. My favorite is at The Woodland in Lakeville CT where the chef coats the calamari in a delicate tempura batter rather than the usual thick cornmeal crust. Some chefs are creative in their use of squid, offering calamari rings tossed with peppers and onions as a spicy cold appetizer. But I don’t know many folks who actually cook squid at home.
About fifteen years ago, my husband and I learned how to clean squid. We were so happy with ourselves after mastering the technique so we didn’t end up with squid ink on the walls! No sooner had we learned how to do it and grocery stores started selling cleaned squid. I have to admit, frozen precleaned squid is easy to keep on hand for a quick supper. Squid is easy to cook, but you have to either cook it very quickly (5 minutes of sautéing) or cook it slowly for a long time (30 minutes) or it will end up very rubbery.
I pulled out a package of small squid from the freezer last week to grill. To make the meal even more substantial, I stuffed the tubes with a savory filling. The package I had were small baby squid but the recipe can be easily adapted to large squid as well. I always keep packages of diced prosciutto and diced pancetta in my freezer. For the stuffing I used prosciutto but any spicy sausage meat would work just as well.
After stuffing, all it took was 3 minutes per side on a hot grill and dinner was ready. I served the grilled calamari with a light Greek-style lemon dressing. Despite the fact that squid comes pre-cleaned, I always rinse them and check the insides for any residual cartilage and feel the base of the tentacles to make sure that the “beak” has been fully removed. Calamari is often tenderized by soaking in buttermilk but I find that marinating it in Italian or Greek salad dressing gives it extra flavor while also helping to tenderize.
GRILLED STUFFED CALAMARI
12 toothpicks
12 small whole squid (10.6 oz/300 grams)
1 cup Kens’ Caesar Dressing (or your favorite Italian or Greek style dressing)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
¼ pound (4 oz) prosciutto, finely chopped or spicy ground sausage meat
¼ cup white wine
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage (or ½ teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley (or ½ teaspoon dried)
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano (or ½ teaspoon dried)
Place the toothpicks in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Let the toothpicks soak until you stuff the squid. This will help ensure they are less likely to burn on the grill.
Rinse the squid and check the tubes to make sure there is no cartilage left inside. Rinse the tentacles and feel the base to make sure there is no hard beak still attached. If so, using scissors, cut the hard part out and discard. Coarsely chop the tentacles and set aside. Place the tubes in a shallow dish and pour on the dressing. Let the squid soak for at least an hour to tenderize.
While you’re waiting for the squid, make the stuffing. You’ll want it to cool down a bit so it’s easier to handle when stuffing the tubes.
Pour ¼ cup of olive oil into a medium frying pan and heat until shimmering. Sauté the onion and garlic until soft but not browned. Add the prosciutto and chopped reserved tentacles and continue sautéing until the meat is browned.
Put the mixture into a medium bowl. Deglaze your pan with the white wine then add the wine to the stuffing mixture. Stir in the panko, egg, sage and parsley.
I find it’s easiest to stuff the squid by using a small spoon and your fingers. Push the stuffing into each squid body and keep compacting it with your fingers. Fill to about a ½ inch from the top and secure with a toothpick. Put each stuffed squid back onto the dish with the marinade.
When ready to grill, preheat your grill to 450 degrees. Combine the additional 14 cup olive oil, lemon zest and juice and chopped oregano. Set this aside for serving.
On a fine grate, grill the squid for 3 minutes then turn over and grill the other side for an additional 3 minutes. Place the cooked calamari onto a clean serving dish and top with the lemon-olive oil dressing. Serve immediately.
Serves 2 as a meal or 4 as an appetizer