I’m not big on resolutions in general, particularly the ones that set you up for almost certain failure (I’ll lose 15 pounds by February through a combination of thinking only positive thoughts and working out seven days a week!). But there are some goals I can get behind, the ones that encourage us to get out of our comfort zones a little and try new things, expand our horizons. One such resolution of mine is upping the ante in the kitchen, experimenting with more challenging recipes and preparations.
To me, squid falls in that category. It’s something I love to eat and order often in restaurants but have always been a little nervous to attempt at home. I don’t have a grill and I’m rarely, if ever, in the mood to eat spiced rubber bands. But I’m 100% convinced that gochujang contains the magical powers to make all food taste tantalizingly delicious, so I pretty easily persuaded myself to get out my hardly used grill pan and buy some slimy tentacles.
My leap of faith paid off, because this recipe could literally not be any easier. You throw together this simple little sauce of sesame oil, gochugaru, rice syrup and garlic, lots of garlic. Then you take out your gochujang, which is the color of blood and inside a container that has absolutely no English writing on it to confirm that it is, in fact, gochujang, and dilute that with a bit of water in a bowl. Inside goes the squid (I got a good mix of squid bodies and tentacles, which were so long and slimy and made me particularly nervous). And…that’s it. You just lay out the whole pieces on the grill for about a minute and a half on each side, and they turn into gorgeously recognizable food, the tentacles curling up into a much more manageable and less intimidating size and shape, and the bodies are sliced into rings.
The squid isn’t chewy, it’s the perfect meaty texture with a fantastic flavor that packs some heat. It’s great with the sauce and with sesame seeds sprinkled on top. White rice is, of course, a must. I ate mine alongside some spinach simply steamed with olive oil and garlic (the entire meal was heavy on the garlic but in the best possible, least regrettable way). Maybe squid is on your cooking bucket list, maybe it isn’t, but hopefully this inspires you to get out of your kitchen comfort zone this year, one slimy tentacle at a time.
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon gochugaru (red pepper powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup gochujang (red pepper paste)
- 2 pounds whole small squid, cleaned (mine came with bodies and tentacles separated)
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat a grill to high or preheat a ridged cast iron grill pan over high heat.
- Whisk together the garlic, sesame oil, rice syrup, red pepper powder and black pepper in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the red pepper paste and 2 tablespoons of water and add the squid, tossing to coat. Grill the squid until firm and opaque, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer the squid to a platter (you can serve them whole or cut up into bite-sized pieces- I'd recommend the latter). Serve drizzled with the reserved garlic-sesame sauce and sprinkled with the sesame seeds.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2015/01/07/korean-grilled-squid/
