Charred Squid Over Shaved Fennel: A Grill-Ready Crowd-Pleaser

Info

• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Cooking: 1 hour
• Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 8 to 10

Ingredients

For the squid and salad:

• 4 pounds baby squid, cleaned, with the bodies lightly scored in a crisscross pattern
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Vegetable oil, for brushing the grill
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• 1 to 2 fresh red chiles, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 batch Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette (recipe below)
• 1/3 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
• 1/3 cup capers, rinsed and drained
• 3 scallions, trimmed and sliced paper thin on the bias
• 5 heads fennel, trimmed and sliced paper thin
• 1 cup green olives, preferably cerignola, pitted and thinly sliced
• 2 bunches baby arugula, trimmed, washed, and spun dry

For the roasted garlic vinaigrette:

• 6 garlic bulbs
• 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

1. Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan to high. Toss the squid in a large bowl with salt and pepper to taste, drizzle with olive oil, and toss again. Brush the grill with vegetable oil. Grill the calamari, turning once, until each side is lightly charred, roughly 1 minute per side. Transfer to a clean large bowl and add the garlic, lemon zest, chiles, one quarter of the Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette, the parsley, capers, and scallions. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, toss the fennel with the olives and 3/4 cup of the vinaigrette until just coated. Spread the fennel on a serving platter as a bed.
3. In the same fennel bowl, lightly toss the baby arugula with the remaining vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Ring the fennel with a "wreath" of arugula, spoon the grilled calamari on top of the fennel, and finish with freshly ground black pepper.

Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Set each garlic head root side down and carefully halve it horizontally so the cloves are exposed. Place each half cut side up on a small square of aluminum foil, drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, and fold the foil up to enclose the garlic completely. Repeat with the remaining bulbs.
2. Put the foil bundles on a baking sheet and bake until the cloves are soft, about 1 hour. Take the garlic out of the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes, still sealed.
3. Squeeze the softened garlic from the skins into the bowl of a medium food processor. Puree until smooth, adding a little olive oil if needed. Keep about 5 tablespoons of the puree in the processor and refrigerate the rest in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
4. Add the mustard, vinegar, remaining olive oil, and water to the food processor and puree until smooth and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.