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.
This is a summer recipe: when the grill is already going for something else, it takes almost no extra effort to add a tray of squid alongside.
Lulas Grelhadas Recipe
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Preheat a grill or grill pan to very hot. Lightly oil the grates.
- 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.
- Transfer to a platter, toss with the chopped parsley and a pinch of flaky salt, and serve immediately with extra lemon wedges.
Enjoy our recipes? Add Maria’s Cookbook as a preferred source on Google to see more of our content in your search results.
