Rating: NNNNN
WHOSE: Elaina Asselin
WHERE: Roxborough
(see listing this page)
WHAT: Grilled Calamari with Parsley-Almond Sauce.
WHY: Asselin’s understated elegance can’t be better demonstrated than by her stellar work at Roxborough’s. Using classic techniques, her dishes abound with contemporary touches, but they’re always timeless.
WITH WHAT:
12 calamari squid, cleaned
1 head treviso or radicchio
extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Sauce
3/4 cup ground blanched almonds
1 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1 tsp garlic, pureed
1/2 to 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 oz vegetable, chicken or fish stock
3 oz champagne vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
HOW: Slice the calamari as if for 1/2-inch-thick rings, but not all the way through, so one side is attached and the calamari can be grilled whole. Cut treviso or radicchio lengthwise into 6 wedges. Toss calamari and veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill veggies over low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, turning regularly so they cook through. Grill calamari over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side — any longer and it will turn to rubber.
To make sauce, combine almonds, parsley, garlic and olive oil to make a thick paste. Add 6 tsp paste to 12 oz stock. Heat to boiling until sauce thickens. Arrange one grilled veggie wedge and two calamari on a plate. Just before serving, add champagne vinegar, salt and pepper to cooling sauce. Spoon sauce around plate. Serves six as an appetizer.
