Charcoaled Squid - Pla Muk Yang *

If you’ve ever wandered the sizzling street stalls of Bangkok, you know this dish. Pla Muk Yang is Thai grilled squid at its simplest and most addictive: whole squid kissed by charcoal smoke, basted in a salty-sweet glaze of fish sauce and soy.

The real star here is the dipping sauce. Six cloves of garlic, fresh lime juice, palm sugar, and a hit of nam pla come together in a bright, fiery condiment that makes every tender bite sing.

This is the kind of recipe that takes 30 minutes from start to plate but tastes like you spent all afternoon at a Thai cooking class.

Chef Tips

• Score the squid lightly in a crosshatch pattern before grilling so it curls beautifully and absorbs more of that fish sauce glaze.
• Keep your grill screaming hot. Two minutes per side is all you need. Overcooked squid turns rubbery fast.
• Make the dipping sauce first and let it sit while you grill. The flavors meld and the garlic mellows just enough.
• No charcoal grill? A cast-iron grill pan or even a broiler set to high will get you close to that smoky char.