RECOMMENDED WINE: Fiano di Avellino
ALTERNATIVE WINE: Greco di Tufo
There are only two ways to cook squid—very quickly or very slowly. Anything in-between, and it’s like chewing delicious rubber bands. Along the shore in southern Italian beach resorts, there is usually at least one stand selling grilled fish, octopus, cuttlefish, and squid, which are either eaten on the spot or taken home and tossed into a salad. This is a slightly more elaborate version of that result.
SERVES 4
2 pounds cleaned squid
½ cup, plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
¼ cup, plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 small globe eggplants, about 8 ounces each
2 red bell peppers, quartered lengthwise, seeded, and deribbed
4 Roma (plum) tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
2 medium zucchini, each cut on the diagonal into 6 slices
salt and freshly ground black pepper
24 fresh basil leaves
1 red Thai chili, seeded and minced
PICK OVER THE SQUID, making sure there are no bits of bone at the base of the tentacles or strips of cartilage in the bodies. Slice the bodies into rings; leave the tentacles whole. Place the squid in a large, heavy-duty plastic bag. In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup of the olive oil, the ¼ cup lemon juice, and the garlic, and add to the bag. Seal the bag and shake well to coat the squid. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
LIGHT A FIRE IN A CHARCOAL GRILL, or preheat the broiler.
CUT 1 EGGPLANT INTO QUARTERS LENGTHWISE, then cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick pieces. Cut the bell pepper quarters crosswise into ½-inch pieces. In a large bowl, combine the cut eggplant, the bell peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini. Add ¼ cup of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Set aside to marinate.
CUT THE REMAINING 2 EGG PLANTS IN HALF LENGTHWISE AND BRUSH THE CUT SIDES WITH OLIVE OIL. When the coals are hot (usually after about 30 minutes, when they’re barely covered with gray ash and you can hold your hand about 4 inches above them for only 2 or 3 seconds) or the broiler is ready, place the eggplants, cut side up, on the grill rack 4 inches from the coals, or place them, cut side down, on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and slip into the broiler 4 inches from the heat source. Grill or broil until the skin is charred and the flesh is softened and cooked, about 20 minutes. Remove from the grill or broiler, let cool, and scoop the flesh out of the skin. Discard the skin.
IN A BLENDER OR FOOD PROCESSOR, combine the eggplant flesh with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 12 of the basil leaves, the chili, and a little salt. Process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice to preserve the color. Set aside.
REMOVE THE SQUID FROM THE PLASTIC BAG AND DRAIN OFF ANY EXCESS MARINADE. Discard the marinade.
REMOVE THE VEGETABLES FROM THE MARINADE AND DISCARD THE MARINADE. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer in a hinged grill basket and cook over the coals, turning once, until lightly charred, about 4 minutes on each side. Or spread the vegetables in a single layer on the broiler pan lined with fresh aluminum foil and broil, turning once, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the vegetables to a platter. Mix together the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and tear the remaining 12 basil leaves into pieces. Sprinkle both over the vegetables.
PLACE THE SQUID IN THE GRILL BASKET. Try to keep the tentacles, which scorch easily, amid the rings. Grill for no more than 2 minutes on each side over the coals. The squid turn brilliant white and opaque when done. Or spread the squid in a single layer on the broiler pan lined with fresh aluminum foil and broil, turning once, about 2 minutes per side.
SPREAD THE EGGPLANT PURÉE ONTO PLATES, arrange the grilled vegetables on top, and pile the squid on top of them. Serve warm.