Calamari with chilli, coriander and lime sauce
“Summer is the season when the barbecue covers come off, to be seen again only if there's a southerly buster.”
- 8 cloves of peeled garlic
- 4 fresh coriander roots
- 8 small green chillies
- 3 good pinches of sea salt
- 2 teaspoons of castor sugar
- juice of 3 limes
- 4 tbsp of fish sauce
- 750g of fresh calamari
Calamari is delicious when given the barbecue treatment, especially with a tasty dipping sauce. Care should be taken here because, although it's desirable to brown the squid pieces to a dark caramel colour, if they turn black the flesh will taste bitter.
Method
First, make the sauce
Mince these ingredients in a food processor until fine: 8 cloves of peeled garlic, 4 fresh coriander roots, 8 small green chillies (scrape the seeds out for a milder heat or use fewer) and 3 good pinches of sea salt. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and add 2 teaspoons of castor sugar, the juice of 3 limes and 4 tbsp of fish sauce. Mix well until the sugar dissolves.
For 4 people, clean 750g of fresh calamari, open the tubes and scrape out any remaining innards. Cut the tubes into large, bite-sized tiles and the tentacles into sets of two. Make sure the barbecue is hot and grill the calamari quickly, making sure not to overcook.
To serve
Place all the calamari on a serving dish, put the dipping sauce in a bowl and serve.
