Who loves squid? Whenever I see ‘dirty’ squid (i.e., squid that hasn’t been cleaned and still has its outer, gray-purplish skin) at the fish market, I instantly know what I’m having for dinner that night. Unfortunately, dirty squid is hard to come by.

These days, most squid comes cleaned (sigh). Yes, it’s convenient, but cleaned quid lacks even the slightest trace of that ocean-y, briny flavor that dirty squid possess. Frankly, cleaned squid doesn’t seem to have much flavor at all. And, cleaned squid costs more because you’re paying someone else for the labor to clean it, which only takes but a few minutes.

To clean squid…pull the tentacles away from the bodies. Then, with a sharp knife, slice off the tentacles just above that great big eye and remove the beak. Place the tentacles aside. Next, clean the bodies by pulling out the insides, including what looks like a transparent plastic knife blade and discard it. Rinse the inside of the tubes under cold water. I don’t bother removing the skin.

Then, season the squid with nothing more than a pinch of salt. They’re now ready to be grilled. Once off the grill, a good squeeze of lemon, perhaps a sprinkling of dried, Greek oregano, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and dinner is served (along with a salad or some sautéed greens). Simple, yet delicious. Makes me yearn for lazy days, lounging on the beach in Greece.

Today I took things a step further…I tossed the grilled squid with fresh herbs (perilla and Thai basil), a good pop of acidity — tomatoes and grapefruit — along with fennel and shallots, all dressed with a refreshing and punch-y fish sauce-lime-chile dressing. And for a little crunch, I topped with some crispy shallots and chopped peanuts.

Perfect on a hot, summer day.

Perilla is a member of the mint family (along with shiso). Shiso is a Japanese variety, whereas perilla is more commonly used in Korean cooking. Perilla has an earthy, grassy flavor with notes of anise/licorice and cinnamon. There are red varieties, green varieties and, interestingly, (see below) two-toned varieties, where one side of the leaf is red and the other green. It’s an easy to grow perennial (actually it grows a little too well, like a weed, and might take over your garden).

Perilla has a pronounced flavor, so I’d recommend adding a little at a time. Also used Thai basil, my other favorite summer herb. If you prefer, you could also add cilantro or mint to this refreshing, squid salad

Grilled Squid Salad

1 pound ‘dirty’ (uncleaned) squid
1 large or 2 small grapefruit, sectioned
1 medium fennel bulb, very thinly sliced with a sharp knife or mandoline
1 small-medium shallot, thinly sliced (I let the shallot soak for 10 minutes in cold water to take out a little bit of its bite); drain and pat dry
Large handful cherry tomatoes, halved
Handful fresh herbs, such as Thai basil, perilla, cilantro, [Vietnamese] mint, chiffonade/thinly sliced

Toppings:
Chopped, roasted peanuts,
Fried shallots (used store-bought)

To clean squid…pull the tentacles away from the bodies. Then, with a sharp knife, slice off the tentacles just above that great big eye and remove the beak. Place the tentacles aside. Next, pull out the insides, including what looks like a transparent plastic knife blade and discard it. Rinse the inside of the tubes under cold water. I don’t bother removing the skin.

To grill the squid…Allow your charcoal or briquettes to burn until they look mostly white or gray, about 20 minutes. Lightly oil and salt the squid. Over direct heat, cook the squid (bodies and tentacles) about three minutes per side, until nicely browned.

Combine grilled squid with vegetables and herbs. Toss with fish sauce dressing. Top with roasted peanuts and fried shallots.

Fish Sauce-Lime-Chile Dressing

3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon sugar (I used coconut sugar)
1 small garlic, grated
Juice 1/2 lime, plus more to taste
2 red bird’s eye chiles

Combine fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, water, sugar, garlic, juice of 1/2 lime and chiles in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Taste adding a squeeze more lime to taste.