There was a time when the only people eating calamari (squid) were Greeks and Italians. I’ve been told by fishermen in Nova Scotia that octopus and squid are considered “bycatch”….fish/seafood that is unwanted or cannot be sold. Often it would be thrown back into the sea or used as bait.

Calamari can even be found in non-Mediterranean eateries these days, usually fried. While fried is everyone’s favourites, grilled calamari should get equal billing. It’s easier to prepare, less fuss and mess and it cooks quickly.

While I already have a grilled calamari recipe on my site, this one is even easier and looks great too! Depending on where you live (and your accessibility to seafood), you can use whole cleaned squid and cut it into pieces or you may buy packages of precut calamari and simply skewer them.

Serve them up as a starter/appetizer or as a main course…either way they are tasty.

Grilled Calamari Skewers

Recipe by Peter MinakiCourse: AppetizersDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

5

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb. squid (tubes and tentacles)

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• sea salt and fresh ground pepper

• 3/4 tsp garlic powder (or fresh minced)

• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

• extra-virgin olive oil, lemons and chopped chives/parsley for garnish

Directions

• If using frozen squid, thaw over night in your fridge. Strain/rinse and pat-dry to remove any water, Cut your tubes into equal pieces.
• Place the calamari in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and toss. Skewer the pieces of calamari on skewers.
• Pre-heat your gas or charcoal grill to high heat. Brush the grill surface to rid of any prior grilling residue Before grilling, wipe the surface with a towel that has been dipped in vegetable oil (this deters anything from sticking).
• Place your calamari on the hot grill and cook for a couple of minutes a side.
• Remove from the grill, place on your plate/platter and drizzle with olive oil, squeeze of lemon, chopped chives or parsley and serve.

Notes

• Serve with grilled lemons: Cut your lemon in half, brush cut side with oil and place face down on on the grill and cook until charred. Grilled lemons get a little sweeter and you’ll squeeze out more juice.