Here are some tips for cooking BBQ squid. Fresh squid is a really versatile ingredient, easy to prepare, and a healthy choice being packed with protein and low in fat. The season for squid in the UK runs from late August through to November.
Many cooks are put off cooking squid at home worrying about the potential for a chewy, culinary fail. For cephalopod (squid, cuttlefish and octopus) success always remember cook very quickly, or long and slow. Our tips below are for the speedy version.
Ingredients For BBQ Squid
1 medium sized squid per person from Walter Purkis & Sons
8 Fresh red chillies or chilli oil
I large clove of garlic
Olive oil
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Fresh lemon – quartered
BBQ Squid Cooking Tips
We can clean and prep the individual squid for you in the shop – removing the insides, the quill and the darker exterior membrane you will have the recognisable white tube and separate tentacles to take home.
If use a BBQ make sure you light the coals early so they are really hot when you are ready to cook.
Next open up the body tube to create a single flat piece. Using a sharp knife score the inside surface. Make diagonal lines about 1cm apart then repeat from the opposite angle to create attractive cross-hatching. Take care not to cut too deep or through the flesh. Scrape the tentacles with a knife to remove any hard sucker parts. Wipe with a little oil and season well.
You can cut the two long tentacles in half or thirds to make a them all equal length. Thread onto a skewer which will make them easier to turn on a BBQ grill.
If you are making your own dressing chop the red chillies finely into tiny dice. Grate or finely chop the garlic. Place ingredients into a bowl and cover with plenty of olive oil. Stir and season well with salt and pepper.
Place the squid scored side down and the skewered tentacles onto the hottest part of your grill (you could also try this in a hot frying pan if the weather is against outside grilling). It will only take 1-2 minutes each side.
Turn the portions over and they will quickly curl up. When this happens they will be cooked. Do not leave too long as the squid will become tough.
Serve right away with some green salad, crispy potato and a good blob of red chilli dressing.
If you would like more squid cooking inspiration or recipes we have plenty to offer on our blog >>
