Calamares a la plancha

Holding the tentacles of the squid in your right hand and its body in your left, carefully ease out the gut and the transparent, flexible backbone.

Using kitchen scissors, cut through the ink sac and squeeze to ensure that you have removed the small bony bit. Drop the tentacles into a bowl of lightly salted water. Discard the gut, ink sac and transparent backbone. Rinse out the body pouch and soak it in the salted water for a few minutes.

Peel the garlic and cut into fine slices. Remove the squid bodies and tentacles from the water and pat dry. Place in a container with the garlic and olive oil.

Turn to coat. Leave a few hours or overnight.

Heat la plancha to very hot. Drop the squid bodies onto the surface. Allow to sizzle and sputter for 2 or 3 minutes. Turn to cook the other side and add the tentacles. They will curl up and turn golden almost immediately. Remove the cooked squid to the marinating bowl and allow to rest for a minute. Cut into slices, scatter with chopped parsley and pour over any collected juices.

Season with pepper and drizzle with lemon juice and a little olive oil.