How to cook with squid: From frying it to serving it with tagliolini and courgette flowers

Grilled squid with aromatic herbs and smoked ricotta cream by Roberto Petza

With a splash of colour, Roberto Petza’s simple seafood starter recipe contains a wonderful array of flavours and textures. Delicate baby squid are coated in a fragrant herb oil before being grilled to give a slight char and bite. These are then served with a rich smoked ricotta cream and the crunch of fresh, raw salad vegetables.

Grilled squid

12 baby squid, cleaned
100g of extra virgin olive oil
25g of thyme
25g of rosemary
25g of sage
25g of bay leaves
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1 piece of fresh ginger, about 2cm, peeled and chopped

Ricotta cream

100g of smoked ricotta
100g of extra virgin olive oil
1 pinch of salt

To serve

20g of carrots, peeled and diced
20g of celery, diced
20g of fennel, diced
20g of radishes, cut into wedges
Edible flowers
Fronds of fresh dill
Nasturtium leaves
Red vein sorrel leaves
Pepper

Place the herbs, shallot, garlic and ginger in a blender with the olive oil. Blitz together to form an aromatic herb oil, with a similar consistency to pesto​. Place the squid in a shallow dish and pour over the herb oil, mixing until the squid are evenly coated in the oil. Cook the squid under a hot grill for a few minutes, turning regularly to ensure they are evenly cooked.

Meanwhile, place the smoked ricotta and olive oil in a high-sided container and blitz with a hand blender to form a smooth cream. Season with a pinch of salt and divide between serving plates. Top with the grilled squid, pouring over any of the remaining herb oil. Scatter over the chopped vegetables and garnish with bright edible flowers, dill sprigs and sorrel leaves. Finish with a dusting of ground pepper to serve.

Tagliolini with squid and courgette flowers by Grazia Soncini

Grazia Soncini uses dainty baby squid to create a beautifully light seafood pasta dish, with freshly picked courgette flowers adding a finishing touch of vibrant colour. The secret to this recipe is to cook the baby squid quickly at high heat so they retain their delicate soft texture.

Tagliolini pasta

300g of 00 flour
3 eggs

Squid and courgette flowers

​300g of baby squid
10 courgette flowers, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove
8tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
Olive oil
Salt

To make the pasta, place the flour on a clean surface and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs and bring together with your hands, gradually incorporating all the flour from the sides of the well until it forms a dough​. Continue to knead the dough until the texture is smooth and consistent, then transfer to a bowl. Cover with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Once rested, use a pasta machine or rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 0.5mm sheet. Leave to stand for 10 minutes to dry out a little, until the dough is no longer sticky, then fold the dough over itself to form a concertina. Cut thin strips along the folded dough, then unfold the tagliolini and shape into nests. Dust with a little flour to avoid clumping and set aside until required.

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan. Lightly crush the garlic clove with the side of a knife and saute gently in the oil to infuse. Remove the garlic from the pan and discard, keeping the pan on the heat. Add the baby squids to the pan, seasoning with a little salt. Saute over a high heat for a few minutes and add the courgette flowers to the pan, allowing them to wilt a little until softened. Remove from the heat and set to one side while the pasta cooks.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the tagliolini nests to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, then drain and add to the squid and courgette flowers, mixing well until fully incorporated. To serve, divide the pasta evenly between four serving plates. Drizzle with olive oil, check the seasoning and serve immediately.

Fried squid with tomato and pepper compôte, tomato salsa and dipping sauce by Galton Blackiston

This squid recipe from Galton Blackiston uses a medley of sweet cherry tomatoes and peppers to contrast brilliantly with the squid. The dipping sauce, infused with sesame oil and soy sauce, is perfect with the crispy calamari, but can also work with other seafood dishes.

Squid

3 squid, cleaned
2tbsp of olive oil
Salt
Black pepper

Tomato and pepper compôte

3tbsp of olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1tsp coriander seeds
1 garlic clove, peeled and grated
1 pinch of dried chilli flakes
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1tbsp of balsamic vinegar
​300g of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 handful of fresh mint, chopped
1 lemon, juiced

Tomato salsa

2tbsp of olive oil
​100g of cherry tomatoes, chopped
½ red onion, finely chopped
½ red pepper, finely chopped
1 handful of fresh mint, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1 pinch of dried chilli flakes
Salt
Black pepper

Dipping sauce

2tsp clear honey
3tbsp of soy sauce
1tbsp of rice wine vinegar
1 pinch of dried chilli flakes
2tsp sesame oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and grated
½ lemon, juiced
2tbsp of sesame seeds, toasted

Begin by preparing the squid; cut off the tentacles, slice open the cavity and score the inside of the squid with the tip of a sharp knife to make a diamond pattern. If you can’t find already cleaned squid, see the video for instructions on how to clean a squid. Rub olive oil on the squid and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a griddle pan until smoking hot, add the squid and griddle for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

For the salsa, place the olive oil, chopped tomatoes, onion, pepper, mint, lemon juice and chilli flakes into a small bowl, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper and leave to macerate. For the dipping sauce, place the honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and lemon juice into a small bowl and whisk together until well combined. Add the chilli flakes, grated garlic clove and sesame seeds and mix well.

For the tomato and pepper compôte, heat one tablespoon of the olive oil, add half the red onion and the coriander seeds and cook over a gentle heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until softened but not browned. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for one minute. Add the red pepper and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and lemon juice and stir well. Remove from the heat, add the rest of the onion, the halved cherry tomatoes and the rest of the olive oil. Leave to cool slightly and then stir in the mint.

To serve, cover the base of the plate with the compôte, pile the squid on top and spoon some of the salsa over the squid. Serve the dipping sauce on the side.

Video and recipes from Great British Chefs. Visit their site for more super squid recipes