Serves 4
Calamari (squid) is a tender and delicious saltwater mollusk, commonly served in Italy, and is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. They can be prepared many different ways. Often the inner ink sac from the squid is reserved and used to make “black” sauce for rice and pasta dishes. The calamari must be skinned, by rubbing off the skin, before cooking. They have a long internal bone, which must be removed. After cleaning the calamari, or you can ask your fisherman to clean them for you, they must be thoroughly washed and dried. Vinaigrette dressing—the standard proportions of a vinaigrette are three parts oil with salt and pepper to taste, dissolved in one part vinegar. Olive oil, nut oil or vegetable oil may be used, depending upon personal taste.
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 cup of olive oil
- 1 pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoon of chopped parsley
Vinaigrette and Salad
- 3 ounces of preferred vinegar
- 6 ounces of preferred oil
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Mixture
- 1 head of Italian Chicory, leaves separated, washed and dried
- 1 head of Boston Lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
- 1 pound of cleaned Calamari, cut lengthwise
- 1 Lemon, cut into four wedges
Instructions
- Marinate the Calamari for 3 hours in the refrigerator. Preheat a grill about four inches above red hot charcoal. Place the calamari on the grill and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, they should be slightly blackened. Transfer the calamari to a cutting board, and slice thin, Julienne style.
- In a large salad bowl, toss the salad leaves, add the vinaigrette, mix well. Portion the salad into 4 individual plates, topped with equal amount of sliced calamari and served with a lemon wedge.
- This dish goes well in the spring or summer because it could easily be done on the barbecue.