Chef Isabel
Abanico Ibérico a la Plancha
Extremadura's dehesa gives us this fan-shaped, marbled rib cut: salt it at the last moment, lay it on a fierce plancha, and count in seconds so the centre stays juicy.
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Chipirones a la Plancha
Created by
On the Basque coast, baby squid meet a blazing plancha for barely two minutes, then take garlic-parsley oil: dry them thoroughly, leave room between them, and they'll brown while the centres stay tender.
Main Dishes
Spanish
Quick Meal
Dinner Party
Outdoor Dining
20 min
Active Time
10 min cook•30 min total
Yield4 main-dish servings
Chipirones a la plancha belong to the Basque coast, where you will also see them written txipirones: small squid cooked whole on an iron griddle, then dressed with ajo-perejil, a plain garlic-and-parsley oil. This is not txipirones en su tinta, the slow onion-and-ink preparation from the same coast. The plancha version is quick, browned at the edges and tender within.
The method that decides it is dryness. Pat the squid dry inside and out, heat the iron until it is fierce, and cook in small batches for less than two minutes each. A wet squid or a crowded plancha releases water and boils pale. Once the flesh turns opaque and the tentacles curl, take it off. The garlic-parsley oil goes on afterward, where the garlic stays fresh instead of burning bitter.
Frozen baby squid is a sound choice when fresh squid is far away. Thaw it slowly in the refrigerator, drain it well, and be especially thorough with the kitchen paper. If you can find only larger squid, cut the tubes into 5cm flat pieces and score the inside lightly; they will be firmer and less delicate, but the same fierce, brief cooking keeps them tender. No hace falta haber pisado España. My Margin says only this: give the iron heat and the squid room.
Along the Basque coast, small squid are known as txipiroi in Euskara, the source of the Castilian word chipirón, and were brought into ports such as Getaria and Hondarribia with the rest of the Bay of Biscay catch. Basque kitchens developed two lasting treatments for them: slow cooking with onion and their ink, and the opposite method of a fiercely hot plancha followed by garlic, parsley, and olive oil. The second preserves the taste and tender bite of very small squid, which need little cooking when the catch is good.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
cleaned baby squid
Quantity
800g
tubes and tentacles separated, rinsed briefly and dried thoroughly
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
60ml
divided between the squid and garlic-parsley oil
garlic cloves
Quantity
2 small (about 6g)
peeled
flat-leaf parsley leaves
Quantity
12g
very finely chopped
fine sea salt
Quantity
6g
divided
lemon (optional)
Quantity
1
cut into wedges
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| cleaned baby squidtubes and tentacles separated, rinsed briefly and dried thoroughly | 800g |
| extra virgin olive oildivided between the squid and garlic-parsley oil | 60ml |
| garlic clovespeeled | 2 small (about 6g) |
| flat-leaf parsley leavesvery finely chopped | 12g |
| fine sea saltdivided | 6g |
| lemon (optional)cut into wedges | 1 |
Equipment Needed
- •Cast-iron plancha at least 35cm wide, or a 30cm cast-iron skillet
- •Long kitchen tongs or a broad metal spatula
- •Mortar and pestle
- •Absorbent kitchen paper
Instructions
- 1
Dry the squid
Check the tubes for any remaining quill or innards, and remove the hard beak from the centre of each cluster of tentacles. Rinse only if needed, then dry every piece inside and out with clean kitchen paper. Spread the squid on a dry tray while you prepare the dressing. Water is the enemy here: wet squid sheds liquid and cooks pale before the plancha can brown it.
Leave the mottled outer skin on if it is clean. It contracts and colours on the iron, giving the finished squid more flavour. - 2
Make the ajo-perejil
Put the garlic and 1g of the salt in a mortar and pound to a smooth paste. Work in the chopped parsley, then stir in 45ml of the olive oil. This is ajo-perejil, garlic-parsley oil. Keep it beside the stove, because it goes on after cooking. Raw garlic belongs in the dressing; burnt garlic belongs in the bin.
- 3
Heat the plancha
Set a cast-iron plancha over high heat for 8 to 10 minutes. It is ready when a drop of water vanishes on contact and the iron looks dry and fiercely hot. If using a 30cm skillet, plan on four batches of about 200g. Crowding cools the iron, and a cool plancha gives you squid sitting in its own liquor.
- 4
Oil the squid
Toss the thoroughly dried squid with the remaining 15ml olive oil. Do not add the remaining salt yet. Oil the squid rather than pouring oil across the plancha, where excess oil would collect and scorch.
- 5
Sear in batches
Lay one batch on the plancha in a single loose layer. Press the tubes flat for the first few seconds, then leave them untouched for 45 to 60 seconds, until the undersides have deep golden patches. Turn and cook for another 30 to 45 seconds. The flesh should be opaque and tender, with curled tentacles and browned edges. Lift it off immediately and season while hot. Let the plancha recover its full heat before adding the next batch.
If liquid begins pooling, the plancha was too cool or too full. Remove the batch as soon as it turns opaque, let the iron dry and heat again, then cook fewer pieces at once. Cooking longer will only make the squid rubbery. - 6
Dress and serve
Pile each batch onto a warm serving platter and spoon over a little ajo-perejil. When all the squid is cooked, add the remaining salt and dressing, turning everything once so the oil reaches the tubes and tentacles. Serve at once with lemon wedges if you like. The lemon goes on at the table, never as a marinade. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Chef Tips
- •Buy the smallest whole squid you can find, with firm flesh, bright skin, and a clean sea smell. Anything with an ammoniac smell stays at the fish counter. If buying them whole, allow roughly 1kg to obtain 800g after cleaning.
- •Frozen baby squid is often the most reliable choice away from the coast. Thaw it overnight in a colander set over a bowl in the refrigerator, then dry it thoroughly. It may release slightly more water than fresh squid, so make the batches smaller.
- •A large cast-iron skillet works if you do not own a plancha. You lose some cooking area, not the dish. Keep each batch to about 200g and wait until the skillet is fully hot again before continuing.
- •Do not marinate the squid in lemon or garlic. Lemon draws moisture and raw garlic scorches on the iron. Add both after cooking, when they sharpen the squid instead of spoiling the sear.
- •Serve with crusty bread and a cold glass of Getariako Txakolina, the lightly spritzy coastal Basque wine. Natural cider is just as welcome.
Advance Preparation
- •Clean the squid up to 4 hours ahead. Arrange it on a rack over a tray and refrigerate uncovered so the surface dries, keeping the refrigerator at 4°C or colder.
- •Prepare the ajo-perejil up to 4 hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Take it out 15 minutes before cooking so the olive oil loosens.
- •Do not cook the squid ahead. It needs to go from the plancha to the table; reheating tightens it and loses the tender texture that makes the dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 170g)
Calories
310 calories
Total Fat
16 g
Saturated Fat
3 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
13 g
Cholesterol
465 mg
Sodium
680 mg
Total Carbohydrates
7 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
0 g
Protein
31 g
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