Grilled Calamari Stuffed With Olives, Almond and Pepper

Ingredients

• 8 -10 medium- small calamari
• bone discarded
• heads separated (1-1/2 to 2 pounds)
• marinade
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 pinch hot red pepper flakes
• to taste
• prepared stuffing
• 3 tablespoons dried whole wheat bread crumbs
• 14 cup raw almonds
• 12 cup firm green olives
• pitted
• 1 grated lemon
• zest of
• preferably organic
• 2 -3 fresh thyme sprigs
• chopped
• 1 pinch hot red pepper flakes
• to taste
• sea salt

Instructions

1. Wash the calamari inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.
2. With scissors or a very sharp knife, cut a 1/4-inch slit on one side, near the pointed end of each calamari tube.
3. In a bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper to make the marinade.
4. Toss the calamari (body and heads) in the marinade, rubbing with your fingers and making sure they are moist inside and out.
5. Set aside for about 20 minutes.
6. In a food processor or blender, pulse together the bread crumbs, almonds, olives, zest, thyme, and pepper.
7. Add salt sparingly since the olives are usually quite salty.
8. Light a charcoal grill, or heat a stove-top griddle.
9. Stuff each calamari tube with about 2 tea-spoons stuffing and secure the top with a toothpick.
10. Place the stuffed calamari, cut side up, together with the heads on a well-oiled rack, close to the burning coals, or on a very hot oiled griddle.
11. As the calamari tubes puff up, press carefully with tongs to extract the air.
12. Grill until firm and marked, turning once or carefully rolling, to cook and mark on all sides, brushing every now and then with the marinade, about 8 minutes total.
13. 8.
14. Slice and serve.