Successful service is all about prep, prep, prep.  Mise en place is a French term I learned in culinary school which means, everything in its place.  Here are a few tips to help with the mise en place for the Grilled Calamari Satay.

I’m using the High Liner Loligo Squid 3 – 5 inch tubes and tentacles, however this can also be done with the 5-8 inch as well.

All I’ve done is taken the squid tube and butterflyed it open with a sharp knife.

Then I sliced them into strips.  If using the 5-8inch tubes then after slicing them into strips you would want to cut them in half so that they are not too long.

Then all you gotta do is fold them in half and spike them on a skewer

It has the illusion of one long strip of squid that has been wieved onto the skewer.  When the customer takes a bite, they will realize that it was thoughtfully assembled in sections making it easier to pull off the skewer.

Prepare what you need for service and place it in fridge close to the grill.  There is no need to marinate this as the peanut sauce will provide a thick coating of flavour.  Simply spray with a bit of compressed veg oil before it hits the hot grill, and lightly season.  While it’s grilling brush with peanut sauce.

I like to use banana leaves when presenting this dish as it provides a nice canvas for the calamari to stand out.  Banana leaves are not as expensive as you think.  The only tricky part is finding them.  They are always sold frozen in any West Indian or Asian grocery store.  But before you go hunting for it, talk to your suppliers as they might already carry it.

The retail price of this package is anywhere between $1 – $2 dollars.

That is the same package opened up and spread out.  Pretty good value eh!  To bring them back to a deep green colour simply wipe them with a towel that has been dipped in vegetable oil.  Cut them down to size and keep them covered with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out.

Happy Cooking & Happy Plating!