🇸🇹 Sao Tomean Cuisine

Lulas Grelhadas

Grilled Squid

Prep Time 15 min

Servings 4

Difficulty Medium

Calories 278 kcal

Fresh squid from the Gulf of Guinea marinated in lemon, garlic, and olive oil, grilled until tender with charred edges and served with a malagueta vinaigrette.

Ingredients

800g whole squid, cleaned
4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 3 lemons
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
For vinaigrette: 2 malagueta peppers, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Pinch of salt

Instructions

1 Score squid bodies in a crosshatch pattern. Leave tentacles whole.
2 Mix garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss with squid. Marinate 15 min.
3 Make vinaigrette: combine minced malagueta, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, and salt.
4 Grill squid over high heat for 2-3 min per side — do not overcook.
5 Arrange on a platter. Drizzle with malagueta vinaigrette.
6 Serve immediately with lemon wedges and coconut rice.

Did You Know?

The trick to tender grilled squid is extreme speed — Sao Tomean grill masters say "two minutes or two hours, nothing in between" to avoid rubbery results.