Ingredients

• Calamari Marinate

• 2.2lb - 1 kg of fresh calamari
• 2 Red capsicums (bell peppers)
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 4 sprigs fresh dill
• 4 stalks fresh parsley
• 1 garlic glove
• Small lemon cut finely
• Half cup grapeseed oil
• Pinch of salt and pepper

• Chimchurri

• 1 Bunch fresh parsley
• 1 Bunch fresh coriander
• 1 garlic clove
• ¼ red onion
• Half cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chardonnay or white wine vinegar
• 1 whole small red chilli, seeded
• 1 teaspoon chili paste or sambal
• Pinch of salt and pepper

• Garnish

• 2 lemons for grilled lemon cheeks
• Soft mixed baby herbs

Steps

• Step 1

  Ideally your fish monger will have cleaned the calamari for you, if not, watch the video to see how to do it. In this case you’ll want to leave the skin on to protect the flesh from extreme BBQ or griddle heat.

• Step 2

  For the marinade, chop the rosemary, dill and parsley medium fine. Dice the lemon skin on into small pieces. Chop the garlic finely and place over calamari along with a generous drizzle of grapeseed oil. Cover and leave to marinate overnight or a minimum of four hours in the fridge.

• Step 3

  For the capsicum, give them a light rub coating them with olive oil. Place them over a flame of a hot grill until most of the skin has blackened. Place hot in a container sealed with cling film and leave to rest for approx one hour. An hour later, the skins should just peel off using your fingers. Remove stalk and seeds and give a light rinse under the tap.

• Step 4

  On a hot BBQ or griddle pan, place your marinated calamari on high heat to cook for approx 6 minutes each side.

• Step 5

  For the Chimchurri (while the calamari is cooking), finely chop the parsley, coriander, chili, garlic and onion. Place in a bowl along with chili paste, white wine vinegar and olive oil. Mix well and set aside.

• Step 6

  Once the calamari is cooked, slice width wise into rings and place on serving plate. Top with capsicum, chimchurri, a grilled cheek of lemon and garnish with a few soft baby mixed herbs.

Little Tips

You can ask your fish monger to clean the calamari and buy the already chargrilled capsicums from most supermarket deli section. This will save you a lot of preparation time.