Now that I’m back Up the Mountain I am enjoying catching up with some of my cookery books. A favourite chef/author of mine is Rick Stein, I love the simplicity of most of his recipes and his passion for fish and the sea. In fact, he’s my imaginary chef boyfriend…a man who like to cook fish and used to have a Jack Russell. What more could a girl want?
Ok, enough of my middle aged fantasies and onto a simple recipe inspired by one from his book Fruits of the Sea.
Ingredients (to serve 2 as a main course or 4 as a starter)
- 4 small squid cleaned but left whole
- 1 large courgette cut into thick strips
- 1 small chili finely chopped
- 2 cloves of crushed garlic
- Olive oil
- Salad
Marinate the squid in the oil, chili and garlic for about 30 minutes and cook on the barbecue (or in a very hot griddle pan) until slightly charred. While the squid is cooking, brush the courgette with a little olive oil and barbecue alongside it.
Make up a salad with the freshest ingredients and a vinaigrette with lemon juice in place of vinegar and add some grated lemon zest to it.
Cut the squid into bite sized pieces and serve it with the courgette on top of the salad. Pour a glass of wine, put your sunglasses on and pretend that it’s sunny….because here it’s been doing a very good impression of not being summer for the last few weeks.
Chica Andaluza 
I’ve got one of those to post – fortunately it’s ever so slightly different.
Your boyfriend has got an India Food programme on at the moment on Mondays, BBC 1 – the first episode is on You Tube – don’t tell Big Man 😉
I can finally get the BBC and ITV and saw this advertised but haven’t watched it yet. Will have to wait for Big Man to go out and I can have a catch up session with my imaginary boyfriend! Looking forward to seeing yours, mine was a very simple one, I bet yours is more exciting!
Methinks we have had all of the Rick Stein series here and I also make time to see them. Since I am potty about both squid and zucchini this very simple recipe will make me put cookery books aside next time around: I can actually remember this!! The dear guy has been to Oz again just recently: hmm, how can I get to sit at the same dinner table 🙂 !
He loves Oz doesn’t he?! And if you get a seat at the same table, let me know and book an extra place (or I’ll just come and sit on someone’s lap 😉 ) Most of his recipes are more inspirational rather than a very specific list of ingredients and process which I like!
Hmm, have just read Roger’s comment [‘course I believe it 😉 !] but if you sat on his right and I sat on his left and . . . I still think we would have a fabulous dinner . . . 😉 !
Yes, and if he was arrogant or rude, we’d just lean forward and have a good old chat ourselves 🙂
Is that an eye looking out from the top of the pile, Tanya? Don’t know how well I would handle that. 🙂
All my favourite yummy ingredients.
I had to go and look at the photo! No, it’s definitely not an eye – they were cleaned first but I do agree that it does look rather like one 😦 Hope all is well with you and yours Diane as you go into Winter down in NZ. Love x
Yep. Tanya’s back! Yay! This looks like a wonderful salad and you’ve photographed it quite well. I’ve never attempted to grill calamari. I’m too afraid that I’ll let them go too long and serve rubber for that night’s dinner. Still, your salad looks so fresh that Id be willing to take the chance. I’ll just buy a few more calamari than needed and hope I find a way to grill them properly before I run out. 🙂
Yes, I’m here! Calamari, octopus and cuttlefish either need quick fast cooking at super high heat or long slow cooking – I was reading somewhere the other day this is because if it’s done fast the fibres don’t have enough time to toughen up and if it’s done slowly they toughen up at first then relax again. Maybe it wasn’t fibres, but you know what I mean!
Right, I will have to have a double portion of this just for testing purposes, I’m sure you understand…
Hmm, must say Rick Stein’s cooking does it for me but not him so much – see now, you don’t even have to share him. Win, win!
Have a beautiful week ahead.
🙂 Mandy xo
Now that Roger has told me that he’s probably not as wonderful I am starting to go off him as imaginary boyfriend material 😉 No problem though with the double portion Mandy!
Simple and good. My favorite kind of food. I’ll be over in a jiff.
Just uncorking a bottle of wine 🙂
Saweeet! Is it a local wine?
It’s a dry white calld Barbadillo produced near Cadiz – they say the salt air from the sea gives it a distinctive fresh taste 🙂 Perfect with fish….
Fabulous picture of a delicious recipe. I hate to tell you this, but both photographers and film crew who have worked with your “boy friend” don’t see him through the same rose coloured specs that you’re wearing 🙂
Ah Roger, my illusions are lying shattered at my feet….I expect he’s a bit of an arrogant, tempremental so and so in real life 😦
That’s a feast for the eyes…and the tongue! I got the granddaughter to eat halibut last week – do I dare try squid yet? 😉
Well done on the halibut – most children seem to really love deep fried squid rings (probably more to do with the fact that they’re coated in batter and deep friend than that it’s squid they’re eating)!
that dish looks good! Nearly as good as Rick Stein on my screen LOL 🙂
Hee hee 🙂
Yummy low fat looking dish. Might try it on my fast diet days 😀
Yes, hadn’t thought about the added bonus that it’s low fat!
That looks lovely, have a squid craving at the mo! xx
Hope you don’t have to wait as long to eat squid as you did to eat lamb! Love x
This salad has ‘summer’ written all over it…beautiful and delicious flavors! And you know, I love that you’ve used a finely chopped chili, its exactly what I’d do:)
It added just that little bit of summer heat!
Oh this looks amazing! I wish I had access to fresh squid. Being in a land locked state is so frustrating!
Ah, but I bet you have some amazing choices of meat and not just “pork, pork or pork”!
Beautiful colors and a perfect and fresh salad for summer!
It was definitely one that appealed to the eye as well as the appetite!
You get to keep Rick Stein. I have always seen him as a bit of a social climber. Not my cup of tea at ALL! I guess we would never fight over men 😉 (we might fight over the Jack Russell though…). I admit he can cook though. He seems to have a “thing” for Australia and he is single now so watch out Big Man…Rick is on the Prowl! (with his comb over… 😉 )
Oh no, he’s got a comb over?! Ok, that’s it, I’m officially dumping my imaginary boyfriend who is a chef. Big Man is safe in the knowledge that he has a good head of hair!
Best start with a man whose hair has receded to where it is going to stay now like yotam ottolenghi. A great cook, hair that is staying put and you could be a cougar! Watch out again Big Man…this isn’t over yet! 😉
I don’t think I have the energy to be a cougar, I may move on to Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall….
I don’t think Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall could keep up with YOU! ;). All of those veggies last year might have left him weak 😉
I’d feed him cheese and chorizo to build him up 🙂
I still don’t think he could keep up with you ;). Might make a cute garden gnome if you give him a fishing line and point him in the direction of your pond 😉
Oh that’s cruel 😉
Cruel but true my dear…I, personally love Hugh to bits. Have you seen that image of him naked in a sea of bright red tomatoes? You don’t see much but what you do see is glaringly white and most alarming! If you do happen to hire him, make sure he keeps his clothes on 😉
Oh no – I love tomatoes, that might put me off!
Go look for it…it is strangely alluring when you have NEVER thought of him as any sort of “Sex Symbol” 😉
Me and squid don’t get on…but even I think that looks amazing!
Oh what a shame – I think this would be great with some king prawns instead or a grilled fillet of fish (and not a fillet o’ fish)!
Fillet o’ fish…genius! Now prawns are a who different kettle of (shell)fish. They would be in my last meal, for sure.
Mmmm, simple is best with squid and this looks wonderful! The only time mussels have ever upset me was in one of your fantasy boyfriend’s restaurants in Padstow….but I’ve forgiven him now!
Oh dear, that’s terrible. I ate in his Seafood restaurant twice. The first time he was there and it was amazing, but the second time he wasn’t and the meal was decidedly average 😦 I may have to move onto someone else as my imaginary boyfriend!
Beautiful I can’t get enough squid.
We love it!
Looks absolutely amazing!
Thank you 🙂
Well it is certainly summer *here*.. and this sounds great! Mmmm…
Yes – at least for the moment – we had electrical storms through the night…no rain but lots of lightning, very dramatic!
This is just fantastic! My dad and I have been looking for a way to do squid on the grill. I think this is it! Sharing on my FB page so I don’t lose it!
Ooh enjoy – just make sure you get the grill as hot as you dare!
Will do! ¡Gracias, amiga!
YUM. That looks beautiful. I love that you did it on the grill since it is too hot here to put on the oven.
We’ll be at the point here soon where we can only grill at night for fear of fainting with the heat over the bbq during the day!
is that eha on his left leg and you on his right leg? is that what i am reading? You guys are nuts, never heard of the fella but Love the recipe.. no squid here though! just zuchinni! Morning tanya! c
I think that could be it – but I’m rapidly going off him as potential imaginary boyfriend material. I think Eha and I would have much more fun without him just chatting, eating and drinking wine 🙂
Your squid and courgette would be wonderful cooked on the grill here if it ever stops raining.
Oh no – still raining?!
A pesar de la mala conexión a Internet que tengo aquí, he podido disfrutar de tu deliciosa receta. Como a me gustan, rápidas y fáciles de hacer. 😉
Gracias Giovanna – espero que has comido un buen almuerzo hoy en un chiringuito y que ahora vas a hacer la siesta!
I love courgette with seafood.. It is so summer! Lovely picture!
Grazie Ambrosiana!
I like article, hmmm …. surely taste good
looks like very nyummy!