For seafood fanatics, the bounty of the sea is like heaven for the taste buds. The bounty includes the chewy favorite of Italian restaurants around the U.S. — Calamari, or grilled squid.
Plain, uncooked calamari is exceptionally low in calories and fat. Sushi squid, without any additives, has a mere 26 calories per ounce, and less than half a gram of fat. Grilling it is the best way to hold on to the healthy factors of the squid, and it’s oh, so tasty.
Grilled squid is a good source of protein. An ounce of plain squid offers 4.4 grams of protein, or about 9 percent of the daily value. Calamari provides essential vitamins and minerals. A mere 1 ounce provides 9 percent of the daily value for calcium, 6.1 percent of the daily value for vitamin B12, 2.8 percent of the daily value for zinc, and 2 percent of the daily value for vitamin C.
The Epicurious Food Dictionary also reports squid is a good source of phosphorus. The EPA reports that squid is one of the best fish to eat, since it tends to contain very low amounts of mercury.
Grilled Squid — Calamari
- 1 pound cleaned squid (tubes and tentacles)
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed/minced
- 1 large lime
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Bamboo skewers
- In a large bowl, stir together paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne and garlic, along with zest from the lime. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, stirring until you have a smooth paste.
- Juice the lime into a separate bowl. Spoon in 2 tablespoons of the paprika mixture and stir until combined. Set aside.
- Add the squid to the remaining paprika mixture, and toss to coat evenly with marinade. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
- While the squid is marinating, soak skewers in cold water to prevent them from charring, and get the grill started so that it has time to preheat.
- When ready to cook, gently thread the squid bodies and tentacles onto skewers.
- Place the skewers directly onto the preheated (medium high) grill, and cook for about 2-3 minutes per side or just until the squid turn opaque. Remove from heat right away, and top with the reserved marinade. Drizzle with lime juice.
Add comment