Algarve Squid/Lulas à Algarvia
Algarve Squid/Lulas à Algarvia
The Algarve region in the south of Portugal is renowned for guaranteed good weather, high levels of tourism but also excellent sea food, especially if one avoids restaurants serving chips with everything… This is an extremely simple recipe for small squid which brings out their natural salty taste and soft texture. Like with all squid cooking, timing is everything!
Serve with simple boiled potatoes and greens.
750gr small cleaned squid (frozen works fine)
1 large bunch of fresh coriander roughly chopped
5 cloves of garlic (minced to a paste – see note below)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
Serves 4
1. Rinse and thoroughly dry the squid. It is critical that there is as little water as possible in the squid as they will release their own moisture. Carefully tap dry with paper towels several times.
2. In a large skillet heat up the olive oil, add the garlic and bay leaves and stir for a minute being careful not to brown.
3. Add the squid and fry for 5 minutes stirring and turning occasionally. Finally add the coriander, mix and serve hot.
Note: to achieve a smooth garlic paste, finely chop then add a tea spoon of table salt and crush with the blade of the knife against your chopping board. Do this several times until you achieve a paste consistency.
