Calamari à la Plancha + Patatas Bravas #SundayFunday

Today the Sunday Funday writers are sharing recipes for "sizzler platters." Sneha of Sneha's Recipe is hosting. I'll be honest: when I first saw the theme I didn't plan to participate as I wasn't sure what that meant. But, as I am always up for a culinary adventure, I started to do some research. And I ended up with this.

Stacy of Food Lust People Love, Sue of Palatable Pastime, Rebekah of Making Miracles, and Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm coordinate this low-stress group; we only participate when we are inspired. Sneha is hosting this week. Here's our line-up of sizzler dishes...

• Calamari à la Plancha + Patatas Bravas by Culinary Cam (you're here)

• Gujarati Thali by Mayuri's Jikoni by

• Mixed Grill Platter by A Day in the Life on the Farm

• Steak Fajitas by Amy's Cooking Adventures

• Teriyaki Shrimp Sizzler by Palatable Pastime

• Vegetable & Paneer Sizzler by Sneha's Recipe

Calamari à la Plancha

I decided to use the calamari that I had gotten from our CSF (community-supported fishery), Real Good Fish. Calamari à la plancha is popular in Spain and Portugal; the squid is seared over high heat in cast iron until caramelized.

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh calamari, cleaned and tentacles separated from tubes

• salt

• water

• olive oil

• 3 to 5 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed

• pinch of red pepper chile flakes

• Sea salt, for garnish

• lime wedges, for garnish

• Also needed: a plancha or flat cast iron griddle (I served in individual cast iron pans, but you can serve on the plancha)

Procedure

Slice the cleaned squid tubes into 1-1/2 inch pieces. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the squid - tubes and tentacles - into the boiling water. Give the pieces a stir and pull them out with a slotted spoon. They should only cook for about 30 seconds.

Dry the squid as much as possible with a kitchen towel or paper towel. You want them as dry as possible before searing.

Heat the plancha with a slick of olive oil. When it is sizzling, place the squid on the plancha in a single layer. Do this in multiple batches if you can't cook the squid without overlapping. Cook until there are some nice char spots on the squid.

Remove the squid from the plancha and toss with garlic, red pepper chile flakes, and salt. Serve on top of Patatas Bravas with lime wedges.

Patatas Bravas

My patatas bravas are not traditional since I don't fry them. But it works!

Patatas Bravas

• Potatoes, cubed

• olive oil

• salt

• pepper

• smoked paprika

• sliced onions

• Also needed: baking sheet, parchment paper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place bite-sized pieces of potato in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with smoked paprika, and toss to coat. Turn the potatoes onto a parchment-lined piece of paper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove sheet from the oven and scatter sliced onions over the top. Return sheet to the oven for another 10 minutes. The potatoes will be browned and crisped on the outside, soft on the inside. Serve immediately. with bravas sauce.

Bravas Sauce

One of my Spanish friends sent me the recipe she uses...and her adaptations. Thankfully she translated it for me because I definitely wouldn't know what "1 cucharada de pimentón picante" meant.

• 1 cebolla picada (1 chopped onion)

• 250 grams de tomate natural tamizado (250 grams of diced tomatoes - I put a can of diced tomatoes)

• Pimientos chiles 2, (si te gusta más picante 4) (2 chile peppers)

• 7 dientes de ajos partidos en trozos grandes (the recipe states 7 cloves of garlic, I added 3 cloves)

• Pimientos choricero (sundried red pepper paste, I did not use because I did not have any)

• Aceite virgen extra 150 ml (150 ml extra virgin olive oil)

• 1 cucharada de pimentón picante (1 Tablespoon smoked paprika)

• 60 ml de vinagre blanco (60 ml of white vinegar- I did not put any because we do not like it very much)

• ½ cucharadita de orégano seco (1/2 teaspoon oregano)

• Una pizca de comino (1/2 teaspoon cumin)

• Una cucharadita de perejil picado (1 teaspoon parsley)

• salt to taste

• hot sauce, if needed

Heat a splash of oil in a skillet and heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, approximately 8 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, chile peppers and stir to combine. Cook until fragrant, approximately 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and their liquid, oregano, cumin, and parsley. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened. Transfer the sauce to a blender.

Purée until smooth. You should remove the small cap from the blender lid and cover the space with a kitchen towel; this lets steam escape and prevents the blender lid from popping off. Add the vinegar, if using. Season to taste with additional salt, vinegar (if using), or hot sauce as desired.

That's a wrap for my sizzler platter offering. The group will return next week to share eggplant recipes. Stay tuned.