What to do when the fish dies and you can't release it.
Grilled Calamari on White Beans from the Williams Sonoma Seafood Cookbook
Grilled Calamari on White Beans from the Williams Sonoma Seafood Cookbook
For the White Beans:
1 cup dried cannelloni or Great Northern white beans, rinsed and cleaned.
1 bay leaf
1 small dried red chili
1/4 small yellow onion
1 sprig fresh thyme
sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
For the Vinaigrette:
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground white pepper
Other Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. squid, cleaned
extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground white pepper
8 handfuls baby arugula leaves
salsa verde
To make the beans, in a medium saucepan, combine the beans and cold water to cover by 2 inches. soak the beans overnight, then drain and add fresh cold water to cover by 2 inches. Alternately, bring the beans to a boil over medium high heat, cook for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and let stand for one hour. Drain and add fresh water to cover.
Add the bay leaf, chile, onion quarter and thyme sprig to beans and bring to a low boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat at once to a very low simmer and cook until the beans are tender, about 1 hour. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Set the beans in their broth aside.
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for grilling over medium-high heat. Soak 8 long wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes, then drain.
To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the oil and vinegar in a small bowl, then whisk in salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Thread the squid bodies and tentacles onto the skewers. Coat with oil and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
Oil the grill rack with a paper towel soaked with oil. Place the skewers on the grill rack or broil 2-3 inches from heat source, turning once, until the squid is lightly colored, 1-2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate.
Drain the beans of almost all of their broth and discard the bay leaf, chili, onion and thyme sprig. Reheat over low heat if necessary.
Toss the beans with half of the vinaigrette. Toss the greens with the remaining vinaigrette. To serve, pile one fourth of the greens on each plate and top with one fourth of the beans and 2 skewers of calamari. Spoon a little salsa verde over each skewer and pass the remaining sauce at the table. Serves 4.