Grilled Squid with Smoky Carrot Sauce

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.

Step 2

Cut the carrots lengthwise—cut the thick ones into quarters and the thinner ones in half. We want a fairly large surface area for them to caramelize easily.

Step 3

Season with salt, drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat, and spread out on a baking sheet. Bake carrots for about 25–35 minutes, turning once. The carrots should be completely tender on the inside, and the edges and flat surfaces should develop a very thin, golden caramelized crust.

Step 4

Season the peeled garlic cloves with salt and mix with olive oil. Wrap in foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Open the foil and mash with a fork.

Step 5

Place the hot carrots, the crushed garlic, and the remaining sauce ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. As usual, start at the lowest speed and then increase to maximum. Add hot water or broth to achieve the desired consistency. Taste for balance between sweet, sour, and salty, and adjust as needed. We want a distinct carrot flavor, followed by a hint of acidity, a subtle smokiness, and a touch of spice in the background. Much depends on the natural sweetness of the carrots.

Step 6

Finely chop the parsley and capers and mix them with the remaining ingredients. Taste it. The sauce should be noticeably brighter and saltier than it seems necessary. On the plate, this sauce will appear only in small dabs, and its flavor will be mellowed by the sweet carrots and squid.

Step 7

Cut the squid lengthwise on one side and lay them flat. Clean them and pat them dry thoroughly with paper towels. On the inner surface, make shallow diagonal cuts about 5–7 mm apart, first at one angle, then at another, to form diamond shapes. Leave the tentacles whole.

Step 8

Preheat the grill. It should be as hot as possible. Just before cooking, lightly drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. For a medium-sized squid, sear the first side for 1–2 minutes and the second for 1 minute. Start with the side where you made the cuts. The tentacles take about 1½–2 minutes total, depending on their thickness. We’re looking for golden grill marks, curled edges, and squid flesh that’s just barely turned completely opaque. Squid has that infamous “unpleasant zone” between quick and long cooking times. It turns out tender when cooked very briefly, then becomes rubbery with medium cooking, and finally tender again after prolonged heating. We need to stay in the first zone.

Step 9

Place about 3 tablespoons of warm carrot sauce on the bottom of the plate and, using a wide motion with the spoon, swirl it into a circle or oval. You can drizzle the green sauce over it before or after.

Step 10

Place 2–3 large, curled squid on top. Arrange the tentacles on the side. Then add small spoonfuls or drops of green sauce to the squid.