Lulas Grelhadas (Grilled Portuguese Squid)

Every Portuguese seaside town has some version of a grill going within sight of the water, and squid is one of the things that hits it most often, whole, scored, marinated in nothing more complicated than olive oil, garlic, and lemon. It’s the kind of dish that convinces people who think they don’t like squid that they actually do; they just haven’t had it done right.

If you’ve made the Portuguese Style Stuffed Squid (recipe on the site) from this site, you know squid rewards a light touch and punishes an impatient one. Grilling is even less forgiving than frying: this is a two-minutes-per-side dish, and the difference between tender and rubbery is measured in seconds, not minutes.

We make this most in July and August, when the grill is already going for something else and it takes almost no extra effort to throw a tray of squid on alongside. Sofia, who inherited her love of anything involving fire from her father, has become weirdly proprietary about the grilling part of this recipe, so I’ve mostly been demoted to marinating duty.

Lulas Grelhadas Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes plus 30 minutes marinating · Cook time: 5 minutes · Total: 50 minutes · Servings: 4 · Calories: ~220 per serving

Ingredients

• 2 pounds whole cleaned squid, bodies and tentacles (fresh or thawed from frozen)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus extra lemon wedges for serving
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• Flaky sea salt, for finishing

Instructions

1. Pat the squid very dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, score the bodies lightly in a crosshatch pattern; this helps them cook evenly and curl attractively.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add the squid and toss to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, no longer, or the lemon will start to firm up the flesh.
3. Preheat a grill or grill pan to very hot. Lightly oil the grates.
4. Grill the squid bodies and tentacles in a single layer, 1 to 2 minutes per side, until opaque and lightly charred at the edges. Work in batches if needed rather than crowding the grill.
5. Transfer to a platter, toss with the chopped parsley and a pinch of flaky salt, and serve immediately with extra lemon wedges.

Recipe Notes

• Overcooking is the only real way to ruin this dish. Once the squid turns opaque and firms up slightly, it’s done; anything past 2 minutes per side risks rubberiness.
• Ask your fishmonger for cleaned squid tubes and tentacles to save yourself the cleaning step; frozen squid, properly thawed, works just as well as fresh.
• A charcoal grill gives the best smoky flavor, but a very hot cast-iron grill pan indoors is a fine substitute.
• Leftover grilled squid is excellent sliced cold over a green salad the next day.