Marinated Squid

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you marinate squid at home? Start by making the marinade. Use extra-virgin olive oil.

2. Step 2:

   

   Peel and finely chop the garlic. If you prefer, run it through a garlic press instead.

3. Step 3:

   

   Slice the chili pepper into thin rings. To tame the heat, remove the seeds. You can also use a green chili instead of a red one.

4. Step 4:

   

   Zest the lemon. I like to grate the zest off the whole washed and dried lemon on a fine grater right away—it's quicker and easier. Then cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from each half.

5. Step 5:

   

   Finely chop the parsley. If you like a bolder, more herbaceous flavor, swap the parsley for cilantro, or use both.

6. Step 6:

   

   In a bowl, combine the garlic, parsley, chili pepper, and the lemon juice and zest. Add the sweet chili sauce and olive oil. Mix everything well. If you don't have sweet chili sauce, you can leave it out entirely or add a little ketchup instead. The marinade is ready.

7. Step 7:

   

   Now prepare the squid. I used unpeeled frozen squid, but it's easiest to work with squid that's already been cleaned—the kind sold frozen as tubes for stuffing. You'll want 500 g (about 1 lb) of thawed squid, so buy a little extra to be safe.

8. Step 8:

   

   If your squid isn't cleaned, remove the skin and innards and pull out the clear quill. Separate the fins from the body. Cut the bodies into rings and slice the fins into strips.

9. Step 9:

   

   Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet. Add the squid and cook, stirring, over medium heat for no more than 2 to 3 minutes. Don't cook it any longer—otherwise the squid turns rubbery and tough.

10. Step 10:

    

    Transfer the squid to a bowl, pour the marinade over it, and toss to coat.

11. Step 11:

    

    Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour—overnight is even better—so the squid has time to soak up the marinade.

12. Step 12:

    

    Arrange the squid on a plate along with the marinade and serve. Enjoy!