Squid: Part of a healthy diet?

By John J. Goddard
Chef
~March 2008

By now, most of us know that fish and seafood are absolutely integral to a healthy, low-fat diet. But when was the last time you considered squid for dinner? Squid happens to be a remarkably abundant, underutilized source of marine animal protein. Six ounces serve up a whopping 26 grams of protein with a mere 155 calories and two grams of fat. It contains a proportionate balance of all of the essential amino acids, and is also rich in selenium, riboflavin and Vitamin B12. Squid is extremely healthy eating, as well as inexpensive.

Ingredients
1 pound cleaned squid (typically available pre-cleaned and frozen)
½ pound Swiss chard
1 large handful of Italian parsley leaves, chopped roughly
1 large white onion
4 cloves of garlic, chopped and crushed
½ cup lemon juice
Salt, pepper and dried chili flakes
Olive oil

Preparation
You could cut the squid bodies into rings, but for smaller, bite-sized squid, I prefer to leave them whole. That way, the body cavity becomes a nice little hiding place for flavor, like an edible spoon. Set the squid aside and work on the chard. Cut the leaf away from the center stalk on each side, and then pile the leaf segments into a stack. Roll the stack into a bundle, cut the roll in half lengthwise, and then slice crosswise to achieve a leafy confetti. Slice the stalk thinly and diagonally. Slice the onion into half-rings, then finely chop a small handful and set aside.

Now heat approximately ¼ cup of olive oil in large skillet until it begins to smoke. Drop in the chard stalks and onions and sauté. When they begin to caramelize slightly, squeeze in a bit of lemon juice, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer. Once this mixture becomes tender, return the skillet to high heat. Add the squid, crushed garlic, chard leaves and parsley. Keep the mixture quite hot and toss it briskly, splashing in a bit of lemon juice from time to time. After about a minute and a half at high heat, season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the remaining lemon juice. Cover and simmer on high heat for around two minutes, until the chard leaves have become bright green and tender. Tip: Nearly all squid dishes that aren’t stewed or braised should be cooked quickly so the meat doesn’t become rubbery.

Garnish with the chopped onion you set aside, add a few pinches of chili flakes and drizzle with more olive oil and lemon juice for sopping up with bread if you like. Enjoy.