Pan-fried calamari

PREPARATION  15 minutes chilling time

COOKING  10 minutes

SERVES  4

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) small squid

2 tablespoons olive oil

Picada

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

1 garlic clove, crushed

To clean squid, gently pull tentacles away from tube (intestines should come away at the same time). Remove intestines from tentacles by cutting under eyes, then remove beak if it remains in centre of tentacles by using your fingers to push up the centre. Pull away soft bone from hood.

Rub tubes under cold running water. The skin should come away easily. Wash hoods and tentacles and drain well. Transfer to a bowl, add ¼ teaspoon salt and mix well. Cover and then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Close to serving time, whisk picada ingredients in a bowl with ¼ teaspoon black pepper and salt.

Heat oil in a frying pan over high heat and cook squid hoods in small batches for 2–3 minutes, or until they turn white. Cook tentacles, turning to brown them all over, for 1 minute, or until they curl up. Drizzle with the picada and serve hot.