Chargrilled squid with Italian bacon

Serves 4

The inspiration for this dish came from Antony Worrall Thompson's One Ninety Queen' s Gate, which opened a couple of years after I started at Le Caprice.

4 medium-sized squid, weighing about 300g each, cleaned
8 rashers of thinly sliced pancetta or smoked streaky bacon
A handful of rocket or small salad leaves, washed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chilli salsa

1 medium-sized mild chilli, seeded and finely chopped
2 red peppers, seeded and finely chopped
Zest of one lime, finely grated
90ml extra virgin olive oil
A few sprigs of finely chopped mint leaves
1tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the chilli salsa, heat the olive oil in a pan and gently cook the chillies, peppers and lime zest for a few minutes until soft. Remove from the heat and stir in the chilli sauce and mint. Season and put to one side.

Pre-heat a barbecue, griddle or cast-iron frying pan. Make a vertical cut down the centre of the squid and open it out flat. Season the squid and tentacles with salt and pepper and lightly oil. Meanwhile grill the bacon until crisp. Cook the squid for 2-3 minutes on each side only, then serve with a pile of the rocket, a spoonful of the salsa and the bacon on top.