Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen_ An Indesp - Tyler Florence [45]
Spiced Calamari Skewers with Grilled Lime
Spiced Calamari Skewers
with Grilled Lime
1 hour
Grilled calamari is a big hit at cocktail parties. It sounds exotic and the platter always comes back empty. The spice mix gives this particular recipe a serious Caribbean influence, and right before the skewers go out I squeeze the grilled lime over the top. Have your fishmonger clean the squid for you. You will need wooden skewers, and don’t forget to soak them in water for 20 minutes before you use them.
Makes 40 pieces
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon sea salt
20 small whole calamari, cleaned, tentacles reserved for another use
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 limes, halved
Put the curry, cumin, fennel, peppercorns, cayenne, and salt in a spice mill or clean coffee grinder. Grind to a fine powder and set aside.
Rinse the calamari tubes under cool water and pat dry. Split the bodies from top to bottom so you have 2 triangular pieces from each. Thread a skewer through the length of each piece to secure. Put the skewered calamari on a platter and drizzle with a 3-count of oil. Place a large grill pan on 2 burners over medium-high heat, or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Fold a few paper towels into a thick square. Blot some oil on the paper towels and then carefully and quickly wipe the ridges of the grill pan or the hot grates of the grill. Grill the calamari for 2 minutes per side (no longer or they will get rubbery). Place the limes on the grill, cut side down, for 2 minutes or until slightly charred.
Sprinkle a little of the spice mix on the calamari and stack the skewers on a serving platter. Squeeze the grilled limes over the calamari and serve immediately.
Roasted Vegetable
Muffuletta
with Black Olive Tapenade
1 hour
This is a fat, stuffed vegetable sandwich that’s great for a picnic. The olive tapenade is also good spooned on bread toasts and served as an hors d’oeuvre.
Muffuletta
1 red bell pepper, halved, stem and seeds removed
1 yellow bell pepper, halved, stem and seeds removed
1 zucchini, sliced in ¼-inch circles
1 yellow squash, sliced in ¼-inch circles
1 small eggplant, sliced in ¼-inch circles
1 red onion, sliced in ¼-inch circles
1 tomato, sliced in ¼-inch circles
3 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed, cut into ¼-inch thick slices
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large round Tuscan bread or French boule
1 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced ¼ inch thick
Black Olive Tapenade
½ pound kalamata olives, pitted
3 anchovy fillets
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
5 basil leaves, hand-torn
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Serves 6 to 8 * Makes 1½ cups tapenade
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Put the vegetables in a large bowl and toss them with the oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper, turning to coat. Lay the vegetables in a single layer on cookie sheets (the peppers should be skin side up) and bake for 30 minutes, until well roasted. Put the peppers into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let steam for about 10 minutes to loosen the skins; then peel. Reserve the roasted garlic cloves for the olive tapenade. Set the rest of the vegetables aside to cool to room temperature.
Peel the skins off the roasted garlic. In a food processor, combine the olives, anchovies, capers, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, basil, oil, and roasted garlic cloves. Pulse until the mixture is well blended.
To make the sandwich, cut the bread loaf in half horizontally. Pull out all but 1 inch of the bread from the inside of each half to create a cavity. Spread the tapenade in one even layer