Spicy Charred Calamari

You know me, I'm always on the lookout for great new recipes.  I found yet another appealing one in the June 2012 edition of Chatelaine magazine, this time for Spicy Charred Calamari.  In the magazine it was accompanied with an Asian Noodle Salad, which I also made, and you'll be able to read about very soon :-)

I've never made calamari before, but have ordered it many times in restaurants.  When this recipe presented itself, I figured...why not now to give it a try?!  It looks like a nice summery meal...stay tuned for the verdict.

Spicy Charred Calamari (Source: Chatelaine, June 2012)

1 package of frozen calamari rings (the original recipe called for frozen whole squid....and to cut it myself...the thought of that grossed me out, so I took the easy route!)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce (I used this version)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fried crispy shallots

Peheat BBQ to medium-high.

Allow calamari rings to thaw and pat dry.  In a medium bowl, toss the rings with vegetable oil, chili-garlic sauce, and salt.

Oil the grill, BBQ the calamari until slightly charred and just tender, 1-2 minutes each side.

Serve with the crispy shallots, on top of an Asian Noodle Salad.

VERDICT:
My husband and I both liked this nice change of pace.  We did find that the spicy wasn't spice enough, so next time we would actually turn up the heat in the coating on the calamari.  We did end up dipping our calamari in a hot sauce, because we felt it needed it!  But, it is a meal that we will make again!