All I know is I went to the fishmonger, who had some beautiful small squid, and suddenly an urge came over me: I had to take them home and give them a Mexican twist.
It was a little funny to head in a south-of-the-border culinary direction, because, for some reason, I didn’t usually associate squid with Mexican cooking. I’ve been to Mexico dozen of times and eaten plenty of fish and shellfish. But somehow any memory of having squid there evades me, which seems odd, especially since squid, or calamares, are indeed quite popular in Mexico. Was I daft?
I got in touch with Gilbert Pilgram, the chef and owner of Zuni Café in San Francisco, a Mediterranean restaurant. Mr. Pilgram, who was raised in Mexico City, is an expert in Mexican cuisine.
“Certainly we eat calamares; they are all over Mexico,” he said. “Stuffed, fried, you name it. There’s our traditional tomatoey squid cocktel — sometimes shrimp and oysters are added, too — served in a tall glass with saltines.”
But what’s your favorite squid dish? I asked.
Sautéed calamares al ajillo, with chiles de árbol, garlic and lime, he said.
Then I contacted the chef Gabriela Cámara, whose restaurant Contramar is arguably among Mexico City’s best. It is packed for lunch all week long, and she now has Cala in San Francisco, serving, among other things, an assortment of the most delicious tostadas topped with seafood. About calamares, Ms. Cámara said: “I cook them so many ways! Just grilled with salt and lime may be the best way, but they are also delicious simmered in a delicate Oaxaca-style yellow mole sauce.”
In the end, I turned my squid into a room-temperature salad for lunch on a sunny autumn day. It was a layered combination of small potatoes, strips of poblano chiles, cherry tomatoes, avocado and whole roasted squid, all served with a zesty, spicy tomatillo salsa.
You can roast the whole squid on a sheet pan in a hot oven, on the stovetop in a cast-iron pan or on a grill over coals. They cook quickly: They’re done in mere minutes, as soon as the tubes puff up and the tentacles are firm. If you want them browned, leave them on the heat source longer, but they taste perfectly good if they’re pale.
The recipe may look complicated, but it’s easy to prepare. And whether authentically Mexican or not, it is completely delicious.