Grilled Calamari with Greek Salad

By Dixie Elliott

Grilled Calamari with Greek Salad

The calamari is stuffed with a mixture of risoni, pine nuts and currents and grilled. Tickle your taste buds with this sensational summer recipe served with a fresh Greek salad, lemon wedges and lemon salt

 

Serves 4

1 cup risoni

2 small red onions

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp currants

2 tbsp toasted pinenuts

1 lemon, finely grated rind and

¼ cup juice

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves,  finely chopped

1 egg, whisked

16 small whole calamari, cleaned, retaining tentacles

1 tbsp sea salt flakes

2 baby cos lettuce, trimmed and cut into wedges

1 cup green olives

100g Greek feta cheese,

cubed or crumble

2 tsp toasted fennel seeds

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

lemon wedges, to serve

 

1 Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add risoni and cook as per packet instructions until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain. Place risoni into a bowl. Finely chop 1 onion. Heat 2 tsp oil in a small non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add onion and cook for 3 minutes or until soft. Cool. Add to risoni with currants, pinenuts, half the lemon rind, 1 tbsp juice, parsley and egg. Stir until well combined.

2 Rinse calamari under cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Fill calamari with risoni mixture. Secure calamari tubes with a toothpick. Place filled calamari and tentacles into a bowl. Add 2 tsp oil. Toss until combined.

3 Place remaining lemon rind and sea salt into a mortar and pestle. Grind until a fine salt is formed, adding more salt if required. (The amount of salt varies depending on how juicy the lemon is.) Thinly slice remaining onion. Place lettuce, onion, olives and feta into serving bowls. Sprinkle with fennel seeds. Whisk extra-virgin olive oil and remaining lemon juice in a jug. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add three-quarters of dressing to salad just before serving.

4 Heat a barbecue grill and hotplate on low heat. When hot add calamari tubes to grill and tentacles to hotplate. Cook calamari on grill for 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through on all sides. Cook tentacles on hot plate for 1 minute, or until cooked. Serve calamari and tentacles on a platter drizzled with remaining extra-virgin olive oil mixture and sprinkled with lemon salt. Serve with salad, lemon wedges and remaining lemon salt.

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