Dalmatian Charred Squid with Garlicky Swiss Chard and Lemon
Squid gets a bad reputation it does not deserve, and it is almost always a heat problem. Blistered hard and fast, then piled onto garlicky chard and crushed potatoes with a lot of lemon, it is the best thirty-five minute seafood dinner going.
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Nutrition (per serving)
Along the Dalmatian coast this is what happens to squid the same day it lands: a screaming hot pan, ninety seconds a side, and nothing else to hide behind. It sits on a tangle of garlicky Swiss chard and crushed potatoes, the Croatian side dish called blitva, which soaks up every drop of lemony olive oil.
Two rules make it work. Dry the squid until it squeaks, or it steams instead of charring. And cook it either two minutes or twenty, never the miserable middle, which is where squid turns to rubber. This lands on the table in thirty-five minutes and tastes like a harbour lunch.
Step-by-step instructions
Boil the halved baby potatoes in well salted water for 12 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Drain them and let them steam dry in the colander while you deal with the squid.
Pat the squid completely dry, then toss the rings and tentacles with 1 tablespoon of the oil, the chilli flakes and a good pinch of salt. Bone dry squid is the whole secret to a proper char.
Get a heavy skillet screaming hot and sear the squid in a single layer for 90 seconds a side, until the edges blister and curl. Tip it onto a plate straight away so it stays tender.
Add the remaining oil to the same pan with the sliced garlic and the chopped chard stems and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Pile in the chard leaves and the drained potatoes, crushing the potatoes lightly against the pan, and cook until the leaves collapse.
Squeeze over the lemon juice and season well. Spoon the chard and potatoes onto a warm platter, pile the charred squid on top and finish with parsley, a last drizzle of olive oil and the lemon wedges.
Leftover chard and potatoes are excellent cold the next day with a fried egg on top. If you cannot get squid, the same treatment works beautifully on prawns or thick strips of cuttlefish.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450g) cleaned squid, tubes sliced into rings and tentacles left whole
- 12 oz (350g) baby potatoes, halved
- 1 large bunch Swiss chard (about 10 oz), stems chopped and leaves torn
- 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, half juiced and half cut into wedges
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
- small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Step-by-Step
- 1
Boil the halved baby potatoes in well salted water for 12 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Drain them and let them steam dry in the colander while you deal with the squid.
- 2
Pat the squid completely dry, then toss the rings and tentacles with 1 tablespoon of the oil, the chilli flakes and a good pinch of salt. Bone dry squid is the whole secret to a proper char.
- 3
Get a heavy skillet screaming hot and sear the squid in a single layer for 90 seconds a side, until the edges blister and curl. Tip it onto a plate straight away so it stays tender.
- 4
Add the remaining oil to the same pan with the sliced garlic and the chopped chard stems and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Pile in the chard leaves and the drained potatoes, crushing the potatoes lightly against the pan, and cook until the leaves collapse.
- 5
Squeeze over the lemon juice and season well. Spoon the chard and potatoes onto a warm platter, pile the charred squid on top and finish with parsley, a last drizzle of olive oil and the lemon wedges.
Recipe
Dalmatian Charred Squid with Garlicky Swiss Chard and Lemon
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450g) cleaned squid, tubes sliced into rings and tentacles left whole
- 12 oz (350g) baby potatoes, halved
- 1 large bunch Swiss chard (about 10 oz), stems chopped and leaves torn
- 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, half juiced and half cut into wedges
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
- small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Boil the halved baby potatoes in well salted water for 12 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Drain them and let them steam dry in the colander while you deal with the squid.
- 2
Pat the squid completely dry, then toss the rings and tentacles with 1 tablespoon of the oil, the chilli flakes and a good pinch of salt. Bone dry squid is the whole secret to a proper char.
- 3
Get a heavy skillet screaming hot and sear the squid in a single layer for 90 seconds a side, until the edges blister and curl. Tip it onto a plate straight away so it stays tender.
- 4
Add the remaining oil to the same pan with the sliced garlic and the chopped chard stems and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Pile in the chard leaves and the drained potatoes, crushing the potatoes lightly against the pan, and cook until the leaves collapse.
- 5
Squeeze over the lemon juice and season well. Spoon the chard and potatoes onto a warm platter, pile the charred squid on top and finish with parsley, a last drizzle of olive oil and the lemon wedges.
Nutrition Facts
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.