Serves 4
Preparation Time 10 minutes | Cooking Time 2 minutes
Calamari can be a misunderstood creature – too often it’s overcooked
and rubbery, which is less than appealing. But if it’s super-fresh and cooked quickly over a very high heat, it’s sweet and tender. I sometimes catch it in the bay near home, and this is my favourite way to cook it. I love to serve this tangy salsa verde alongside as it has a subtle brininess that works perfectly with the calamari.
- 2 large squid (calamari) (about 250 g/ 9 oz each), cleaned
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Lemon wedges, to serve
SALSA VERDE
- 30 g (1 oz/2 cups) flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves (2 bunches)
- 200 ml (7 fl oz) olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salted capers, rinsed and drained
- 4 cornichons
- 2 anchovies
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon
To make the salsa verde, combine the ingredients in a blender, season to taste and blitz for a minute or two until very smooth, then check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.
To prepare the calamari, heat a chargrill pan or barbecue to
a high heat. Score the inside of the calamari with a sharp knife in a crisscross pattern and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place in a bowl, season and toss with olive oil. Grill for a minute on each side until golden brown and just cooked through, then serve drizzled with the salsa verde with lemon wedges to squeeze over.
Recipe and images from Australian Food Coast + Country by Matt Moran, published by Murdoch Books.
Matt Moran takes us on a journey through Australia and it’s food landscape with a fantastic range of recipes to complement our resources.
