How to best barbecue calamari/squid?
Is is possible at all to barbecue uncooked calamari (tubes) without getting them tough? If so, how should it be done? Are there any preparations (marinade?) which may help to get them soft? Does the size of the calamari matter?
Best Answer
See: How do you cook calamari / squid and avoid making it tough?
The principles remain the same for grilling or barbecuing: you want to cook the squid briefly so it doesn't toughen up, or slowly for a long time, so that the collagen dissolves to gelatin, making the squid tender again. In between is the rubbery zone.
The main issue is that many squid are not really large enough to place directly on a grill grate without danger of falling through, so you may wish to use a fish or vegetable grilling grate. You can then grill them briefly, over high heat.
It is probably possible to use low-and-slow smoking techniques (true barbecuing), but I didn't find any really credible sources or recipes, and I have never tried this myself. You could also grill the squid to get some smokey flavor, then finish by braising them (for example, in a disposable pie tin on the cool side of your grill, with flavorful liquid) for a long time.
Googling barbecued squid recipe will give you many recipes to try, with a variety of marinades and treatments.
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How do you grill squid calamari?
InstructionsDo you have to boil squid before grilling?
A delicious way to prepare calamari is to throw it on the grill. But before you take it to the charcoals, it's important to pre-cook your calamari because adding it straight to the grill as-is will result in tough, dry meat. I always boil it first, then let it cool down to room temperature and quickly grill it.How do you make squid not chewy on the grill?
Cooking Tips Squid must be cooked for either a very short time or a very long time. Anything in between turns it very rubbery. Two minutes over high heat is plenty. Beyond that will require at least 30 minutes to an hour to re-tenderize it.Grilled Calamari the same way as they do it in Greece | Grilled Squid
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