Barbecued Squid
Submitted by smc33
Barbecued squid grilled hot and fast over hardwood coals, served with lemon-garlic butter and Thai sweet-hot chili sauce. The simplest seafood preparation that turns out tender, smoky, and never rubbery.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
40 minGrilled squid is one of those dishes that’s either spectacular or terrible, with no middle ground. The difference is almost entirely about heat and timing. Two to three minutes per side over screaming-hot coals delivers tender, smoky rings with crisp edges. Anything longer and you’ve got rubber bands.
The heat source matters here, the recipe specifies firewood or Mexican charcoal (made from mesquite) for a reason. Commercial briquettes and lighter fluid leave a chemical, oily taste that ruins seafood, where the clean smoke from real wood adds flavor instead of subtracting it. If briquettes are all you have, use a chimney starter and skip the lighter fluid entirely.
Squid rings cook fast because they’re thin. Skewer them so they don’t slip through the grill grates, and have everything else ready before they go on the fire. There’s no time to walk away once squid hits the heat.
The serving sauces are doing the flavor work. Thai sweet-hot chili sauce brings sweet-tangy heat that cuts through the richness, while lemon-garlic butter adds bright, fatty depth. Offer both and let everyone choose.
Serve with crusty bread, a green salad, and cold beer. Squid this fresh deserves simple sides that don’t compete.
Pro Tips
- Pat the squid bone-dry before skewering. Wet squid steams instead of grilling and ends up gray and rubbery.
- Cut squid bodies in 1-inch rings for even cooking. Smaller pieces overcook fast; bigger ones don’t get the smoke flavor.
- Brush lightly with oil before grilling to prevent sticking. The squid has very little fat of its own.
- Buy fresh squid if possible. Frozen works but releases more water; thaw and pat very dry. Look for clean ocean smell, never fishy.
- Serve immediately. Grilled squid loses tenderness as it cools and resting changes the texture for the worse.
Variations
- Marinate squid for 30 minutes in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and chili flakes before grilling for added flavor depth.
- Top with chimichurri for an Argentine influence.
- Stuff whole squid bodies with a mixture of rice, herbs, and chopped tentacles before grilling for a more substantial preparation.
Ingredients
Directions
Serve this with a Thai sweet/hot chili sauce.
Make a fire, preferably with firewood or Mexican charcoal, started from paper and kindling.
Skewer the squid. When coals are red hot, barbecue the rings for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until they are brown.
Some recipes for grilled squid suggest marinating them.
Serve hot with lemon-garlic butter.
NOTE: Commercial charcoal and lighter fluid are petroleum products. They impart an oily flavor to food. Hardwood, or Mexican charcoal, a commercial product, which is made by burning down mesquite, both give a nice flavor and are certainly less toxic than petrochemicals.
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