Roasted Squid, by Way of Mexico

All I know is I went to the fishmonger, who had some beautiful small squid, and suddenly an urge came over me: I had to take them home and give them a Mexican twist.

It was a little funny to head in a south-of-the-border culinary direction because, for some reason, I didn’t usually associate squid with Mexican cooking. I’ve been to Mexico a dozen of times and eaten plenty of fish and shellfish. But somehow any memory of having squid there evades me, which seems odd, especially since squid, or calamares, are indeed quite popular in Mexico. Was I daft?

I got in touch with Gilbert Pilgram, the chef and owner of Zuni Café in San Francisco, a Mediterranean restaurant. Pilgram, who was raised in Mexico City, is an expert in Mexican cuisine.

“Certainly we eat calamares; they are all over Mexico,” he said. “Stuffed, fried, you name it. There’s our traditional tomatoey squid cocktel — sometimes shrimp and oysters are added, too — served in a tall glass with saltines.”

But what’s your favorite squid dish? I asked.

Sautéed calamares al ajillo, with Chile de árbol, garlic and lime, he said.

Then I contacted chef Gabriela Cámara, whose restaurant Contramar is arguably among Mexico City’s best. It is packed for lunch all week long, and she now has Cala in San Francisco, serving, among other things, an assortment of the most delicious tostadas topped with seafood. About calamares, Cámara said: “I cook them so many ways! Just grilled with salt and lime may be the best way, but they are also delicious simmered in a delicate Oaxaca-style yellow mole sauce.”

In the end, I turned my squid into a room-temperature salad for lunch on a sunny autumn day. It was a layered combination of small potatoes, strips of poblano chilies, cherry tomatoes, avocado and whole roasted squid, all served with a zesty, spicy tomatillo salsa.

You can roast the whole squid on a sheet pan in a hot oven, on the stovetop in a cast-iron pan or on a grill over coals. They cook quickly: They’re done in mere minutes, as soon as the tubes puff up and the tentacles are firm. If you want them browned, leave them on the heat source longer, but they taste perfectly good if they’re pale.

The recipe may look complicated, but it’s easy to prepare. And whether authentically Mexican or not, it is completely delicious.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Total time: 1 hour

For the salsa:

3/4 pound tomatillos, husks removed, halved or quartered (about 3 cups)

1 jalapeño, halved lengthwise, then cut in large chunks

2 cups roughly chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, packed

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons lime juice

For the squid:

1 1/2 pounds very small boiling potatoes

Salt and pepper

4 large poblano chilies

2 pounds cleaned small squid

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as necessary

3 medium avocados, cut into thick slices or chunks

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved

Cilantro sprigs, for garnish (optional)

Thinly sliced jalapeño, for garnish (optional)

Lime wedges, for serving

Warm corn tortillas, for serving (optional)

1. Make the salsa: Put the tomatillos, jalapeño, cilantro, salt and lime juice in a food processor or blender. Pulse until all components come together to make a rough purée. Transfer salsa to a serving dish.

2. Wash potatoes, put in a small pot, cover with 1 inch of water, add a teaspoon of salt and cook at a brisk simmer, covered, over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes. When done, drain and set aside until cool enough to handle, then cut in half with a small sharp knife (leave skins on).

3. Meanwhile, roast the poblanos: Place whole chilies directly on flames of a full-blast stovetop burner, turning with tongs frequently until blackened and blistered all over. Alternatively, blacken chilies on a sheet pan as close to broiler as possible or on a grill over coals. Set aside to cool on a plate (do not wrap in plastic film — you want the chili flesh to stay firm).

4. To clean poblanos, wipe off their charred skin with paper towels or the back of a knife. Do not rinse; a few bits of char is OK. Cut chilies lengthwise in half and scrape out seed and veins with knife. Cut chilies lengthwise into 3/8-inch-wide strips and set aside.

5. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse squid and drain well. Pat dry on layers of paper towel or cloth kitchen towel. Transfer squid bodies to a sheet pan in one layer. Arrange tentacles on a smaller baking sheet. Season bodies generously on both sides with salt and pepper, and season tentacles. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil evenly over squid bodies and 1 tablespoon olive oil over tentacles. Place baking sheets in oven and roast until bodies have puffed and tentacles have firmed, about 6 to 8 minutes. (Alternatively, cook squid in batches in a cast-iron pan over high heat or on a grill over coals.)

6. To assemble the room-temperature salad, arrange potatoes on a large platter. Distribute the squid over potatoes, then scatter poblano strips, avocado, sliced onion and cherry tomatoes over squid. Sprinkle lightly with salt and drizzle with a little more olive oil, if desired. Add cilantro sprigs and jalapeño slices, if using, and garnish with lime wedges. Serve the salsa at the table, to be spooned over each serving, and warm tortillas, if desired.