Italian Grill - Mario Batali [30]
Combine the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, mint, red pepper flakes, and black pepper in a large bowl. Toss in the calamari and stir well to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until everything else is ready.
Put the chickpeas in a medium bowl, add the oil, vinegar, scallions, garlic, and mustard seeds, and stir to mix well. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
For the olive pesto: Combine the oil, orange zest and juice, olive paste, jalapeños, and basil in a small bowl, mixing well. Set aside.
Using a sharp paring knife or serrated knife, cut off the top and bottom of each orange to expose the flesh. Stand each one upright on a work surface and slice off the skin and bitter white pith, working from top to bottom and following the natural curve of the fruit, then trim away any remaining pith. To remove the segments, carefully cut each one away from the membranes, sliding the knife down either side to release it. Put the orange segments in a bowl and set aside.
Preheat a gas grill or prepare a fire in a charcoal grill. Place a piastra (see page 9) on the grill to preheat. Wrap a clean brick in two layers of heavy-duty foil and set it on top of the piastra to heat for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour the calamari into a colander and drain for 10 minutes.
Using pot holders or oven mitts, remove the brick from the piastra. Put a handful of the calamari pieces on the piastra, place the brick on top of them, and cook for 2 minutes, or until they are well charred. Lift off the brick and, using a spatula or tongs, carefully transfer the calamari to a clean bowl. Repeat with the remaining calamari in batches.
Cut the calamari bodies into rings if desired. Pour the olive pesto over the calamari and stir well. Put the chickpeas in a shallow serving bowl and top with the calamari. Sprinkle with the mint, scatter the orange segments over, and serve.
There’s a lot going on in this dish: The calamari is tossed in a zesty marinade with lemon, black and red pepper, and fresh mint before it goes on the grill and then is finished with a spicy olive paste and served over a chickpea salad, with more fresh mint and orange sections for a citrusy contrast. The real secret here is the grilling method—the calamari is cooked on a piastra and under a brick, which means it really chars, and the char has all the flavor.
MUSSELS ALLA PIASTRA
WITH PROSCIUTTO BREAD CRUMBS
SERVES 6
4 pounds small mussels, such as Prince Edward Island (PEI), scrubbed and debearded
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
1 cup toasted bread crumbs
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, coarsely chopped
1 bunch lemon thyme, leaves only
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
PREHEAT A GAS GRILL or prepare a fire in a charcoal grill. Place a piastra (see page 9) on the grill to preheat for at least 15 minutes.
Put the mussels in a large metal bowl, add the orange and lemon zest and juice and the jalapeño, and toss gently. (If you don’t have a metal bowl, toss in any large bowl, then use an upside-down roasting pan to cover the mussels when you cook them.) Set aside.
Place the bread crumbs, prosciutto, lemon thyme, and scallions in a food processor and zap until well mixed, six or seven pulses.
Pour the olive oil onto the piastra (if your piastra is not large enough, cook the mussels in two batches). Working quickly, dump the mussels (with everything else in the bowl) onto the piastra, scatter the bread crumb mixture over and around them, and cover with the inverted bowl. Remove the bowl after 2 minutes and gently stir the mussels around. Continue cooking, uncovered, for about 3 minutes longer, until they all open; transfer the mussels to a platter as they open (discard any that do not open). Scrape up any bread crumb mixture remaining on the piastra, scatter it over the mussels, and serve immediately.
The hotter the better for the piastra, so give it time to preheat