Grilled Calamari with Smoked Olive Oil & Lemon Confit
From Tyler Florence and The Smoked Olive
I usually create a new recipe for you, but when I saw this on The Smoked Olive website, I just had to share. The introduction is from Tyler Florence, who loves The Smoked Olive’s naturally smoked oils that we carry at Ah love.
“Calamari, or fresh squid, is so neutral in taste that it’s the perfect vehicle for a flavor road trip. This trip we’re headed to California with Meyer lemon confit and one of my favorite new ingredients, Smoked Olive Oil. It’s one of the sexiest flavors I’ve come across in years. Genius.”
Ingredients
1 lb. cleaned calamari
1 cup Smoked Olive Oil, or best quality extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup Meyer Lemon Confit (recipe below)
12 fresh fennel fronds or chervil sprigs, for garnish
Preparation
Rinse and dry the calamari very well and place in a resealable plastic bag. Add the Smoked Olive Oil, turn to coat, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or up to overnight.
Make a very hot charcoal fire or preheat your gas grill to high. Drain the calamari, discarding the marinade, and pat dry with paper towels. Season with sea salt and pepper. Fold a double thickness of paper towels in quarters and use them to wipe the grill grates with oil; this will prevent the food from sticking. Place the calamari on the grill and cook for just 1 ½ minutes per side or until it has a bit of char; don’t overcook or the calamari will become rubbery. Let rest for 1 minute, then separate the tubes and tentacles, slicing the tubes into ½ inch rings.
Preheat the oven to 375°. Toss the bread crumbs with the tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Spread the bread crumbs on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
To serve, thread the sliced tube pieces onto large dinner forks, and top each with a tentacle. Top each portion with a little lemon confit, some toasted bread crumbs, a few grains of sea salt, and a bit of black pepper. Garnish with the fennel fronds or chervil.
Meyer Lemon Confit: Makes 1 quart
10 Meyer lemons
5 cups extra-virgin olive oil
4 fresh thyme sprigs
Scrub the lemons and slice very thin. Discard any seeds. Place the lemon slices in a saucepan with the oil and thyme sprigs and cook slowly over low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the white pith has become translucent. Cool the lemon slices in the oil, then discard the thyme stems and transfer the lemon and oil to an airtight container. Tightly covered, the confit will keep for up to 1 month in the refrigerator.