Grilled chilli squid

This is a very simple dish once you’ve mastered the art of preparing squid, but the answer to that is to get your fishmonger to do it for you, writes Antony Worrall Thompson. Please don’t buy frozen squid as they tend to be pumped up with water and won’t grill well; fresh is definitely best. Serve with steamed new potatoes and salad.

Grilled chilli squid

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 roasted red peppers from a jar, drained well and patted dry
2 red chillies, seeds and stem removed
½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 spring onions, roughly sliced
½ bunch of coriander, leaves and stalks
500g cleaned squid
Spray of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon olive oil

Method

Place all the ingredients, apart from the squid, in a food-processor and blend until smooth. Place in a bowl.
Cut open the squid tubes and give them a quick rinse, then pat dry. Lay the squid flat on your work surface, with the inside facing up. Then, with a sharp knife, cut three-quarters through the flesh in a tight, cross-hatch effect; this helps to keep the squid tender and also looks cute when it’s cooked. Cut each tube into three.
Place the squid in the red pepper marinade and leave for 30 minutes. Spray a little oil into a griddle pan and get the pan really hot. In batches, place the squid cut side down on the hot pan and cook for 45 seconds on each side. When you turn the squid over, the pieces will roll up into tubes.
Serve immediately.

Per serving: 143 cals, 5.3g fat, 1g saturates, 1.9g sugar, 0.6g fibre, 0.7g salt, 2.8g fat per 100g.

The Essential Low Fat Cookbook by Antony Worrall Thompson with Juliette Kellow BSc RD (Kyle Books, £20) Photography by: Georgia Glynn Smith. Buy this book at a discount from Saga Books.

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