Grilled Squid with Vegetables (Fasting)

Preparation

1. Cleaning and Preparing the Squid

If using fresh or thawed uncleaned squid: hold the body firmly with one hand and the head/tentacles with the other — pull gently and the innards will come out with the transparent quill. Rinse the inside of the tube under running water. You can leave the skin on (it becomes pleasantly crispy when grilled) or peel it off. Separate the tentacles just below the eyes and squeeze out the hard beak from the centre of the tentacle ring with your fingers.

Score the squid tubes along their length to open them into flat sheets, or leave whole if they are small. Leave the tentacles intact. Pat dry with paper towels — dry squid grills much better.

2. Marinade

In a large bowl, combine:

• olive oil (40 ml)
• juice of one lemon
• 2 cloves of grated garlic
• thyme leaves stripped from the sprigs
• salt and pepper

Add the prepared squid and toss well so every piece is coated. Leave to marinate for 10–15 minutes at room temperature — do not marinate for longer than 30 minutes as the lemon juice starts to “cook” the flesh and it becomes tough.

3. Preparing the Vegetables

While the squid marinates, toss the courgettes and peppers with the remaining olive oil (20 ml), season with salt and pepper. Leave the cherry tomatoes whole.

4. Grilling the Vegetables

Heat a grill or grill pan to very high temperature — it must be very hot so the vegetables get beautiful charred marks. Grill the courgettes for 3–4 minutes per side until grill marks appear and they soften. Grill the peppers for the same amount of time. Grill the cherry tomatoes for 1–2 minutes — just enough for the skin to burst and lightly colour. Arrange the vegetables on a serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm.

5. Grilling the Squid

Place the squid on the same hot grill or grill pan — do not add extra oil if using a non-stick pan. Grill the tubes for 2–3 minutes per side. Grill the tentacles for 1–2 minutes, turning once. The squid is done when it turns white, slightly opaque and the edges show a golden tone.

Key point: squid must not cook for too long — more than 3 minutes per side and it becomes rubbery. The only remedy for over-cooked squid is to braise it in sauce for a further 30–40 minutes, but for this recipe we use quick high-heat cooking.

6. Serving

Lay the vegetables as a base on the plates, place the squid on top. Drizzle with the cooking juices (scrape them up with a metal spoon). Scatter the remaining chopped garlic and generous fresh parsley over everything. Place lemon wedges on the side — each guest squeezes their own.

Tips

Temperature is everything: a cold grill or pan is the enemy of squid — they must hit a very hot surface and begin caramelising immediately. Preheat the grill pan over high heat for at least 3 minutes before adding the squid.

Frozen vs. fresh: paradoxically, deep-frozen squid is sometimes better quality than “fresh” squid on ice at the shop, as it is frozen immediately after the catch. If buying frozen, thaw slowly in the refrigerator (8 hours) — never in the microwave.

Vegetable variations: this recipe also works beautifully with aubergine (1 cm slices, salt and drain 15 minutes before grilling), asparagus or red onion. In summer, use whatever seasonal vegetables you have.

Gluten-free: the recipe is naturally gluten-free. Serve with cornbread or simply without bread alongside a rocket salad.

Seafood and fasting: squid, octopus and shellfish are fasting foods according to all the rules of the Orthodox Church. They are permitted on the same days as fish (Saturdays and Sundays in the Apostles’ and Dormition Fasts, certain feast days), but do not share the special status that fish has on the Annunciation or Palm Sunday.