Grilled calamari in a potato nest with aioli

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 500 g squid(s) (smallest possible)
• Salt
• olive oil
• 250 g potatoes
• Oil for frying
• Salt
• 2 egg yolks (room temperature)
• 150 ml sunflower oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• ½ tsp mustard, medium hot
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 bunch arugula
• Balsamic cream

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour

Separate the head from the body of the calamari, removing the innards as well. Then pull the transparent backbone out of the body and skin the calamari. Cut off the arms below the eyes. Wash the body and arms carefully, rinsing especially the inside of the body. Pat dry, place in a bowl, season with salt (distribute the salt well), and cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. For the aioli, put all the ingredients in a tall, narrow blender. The blender must be narrow enough to just about fit the immersion blender (if you don’t have a suitable blender, a coffee mug of the right size will work, but it must be straight and not conical!!!). Place the immersion blender in the blender and slowly pull upwards at half speed. This will immediately create a stable aioli. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Peel and wash the potatoes and pat dry. Use a spiral cutter to cut them into long spaghetti. Pat dry again. Divide into two portions and fry each in the deep fryer at 180°C for about 4 minutes until crispy. Drain and season with salt. Wash the arugula salad and spin dry. Divide between two plates and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Place the potato nests on top. In the meantime, preheat the electric grill to high. Brush the grill plate with a little olive oil. Grill the calamari bodies for 3-4 minutes, turning once. Only place the calamari arms on the grill for about 1 minute, as they cook quickly. Place both on the potato nests. Garnish with a dollop of aioli. Serve the remaining aioli on the side. Important: It’s really important to use the smallest calamari possible, as they become buttery soft when grilled and don’t feel rubbery.