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IF YOU like squid— grilled, not fried or baked—then give this recipe a try. The versatility and broad appeal of squid make this dish a natural choice as weekend treat.

Since grilling squid takes only a matter of minutes, you’ll spend more time prepping the food than cooking. This means you’ll want all your ingredients ready prior to heating the grill.

“Sizzling Stuffed Squid is easy to do. It can be on the table in less than 20 minutes, and it explodes with flavor,” says chef Lowee Guarin of Congo Grille. “You can use a wide range of ingredients for the stuffing so feel free to use your favorite food items.” Sizzling Stuffed Squid is one of the bestsellers in the restaurant’s nine branches nationwide (www.congogrille.com).

Succulent tender squid is usually stuffed with chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic, cheese and squid heads, and then grilled to perfection. To make sure the squid remains tender and juicy, do not overcook. To test the squid for doneness, make a small slit on the thickest part of the squid. If the fat is still transparent, continue cooking for a minute or so longer.

To save you from the trouble of removing the cartilage, intestines, internal body and ink sac at home, it’s best to have your squid cleaned at the wet market upon buying. Under cold running water, just wash the squid carefully, inside and out, to get rid of any sand or other remaining tissues. Set them aside to drain.

When stuffing, simply push the mixture inside the cavity with either a spoon or your finger. Grill squid about five to six inches above live coals to keep the flesh from burning too fast while the inside is still cooking.

Ingredients

400 g pusit (lumot)

25 g onion, chopped

40 g tomato, chopped

10 g fried garlic

30 g grated cheese

40 ml soy sauce and calamansi (combined)

finger chili, sliced

For suggestions, e-mail the author at vbaga@inquirer.com.ph

1) GRILL squid on both sides for five minutes, basting occasionally with soy sauce and calamansi. Set aside.

2) IN A bowl, mix together tomato, chili finger, cheese, fired garlic, onions, soy sauce and calamansi.

3) SEAL the squid’s rear end with a toothpick. Using a spoon, stuff squid with the chopped mixture. Leave some mixture for presentation.

4) GRILL stuffed squid again for two minutes on each side.

5) MEANWHILE, finely chop the squid head in pieces and add to the remaining mixture.

6) THEN make a shallow cut on squid.

7) PLACE squid on a sizzling plate garnished with the extra stuffing. Pour extra soy sauce and calamansi left for basting on the sizzling plate. Serve immediately.

8) SIZZLING Stuffed Squid

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