In a Grilling Rut? This Quick Seafood Supper Is the Answer
Barbecue-glazed calamari skewers and crispy smashed potatoes make for a festive, island-inspired summer meal ISLAND TIME Brush on an easy grilling glaze of pineapple, chile, garlic and more to give tender squid a bright tropical bite. Photo: Emma Fishman for The Wall Street Journal, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca By Kitty Greenwald July 19, 2023 12:30 pm ET Illustration: Michael Hoeweler THE CHEF: Reneé Touponce Her Restaurants: Port of Call and Oyster Club, both in Mystic, Conn. What She’s Known For: Inventive dishes that celebrate the local seafood and family farms of coastal Connecticut. Leading the kitchens at two buzzy restaurants in a burgeoning New England food town.
ISLAND TIME Brush on an easy grilling glaze of pineapple, chile, garlic and more to give tender squid a bright tropical bite.
Photo: Emma Fishman for The Wall Street Journal, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca
Illustration: Michael Hoeweler
THE CHEF: Reneé Touponce
Her Restaurants: Port of Call and Oyster Club, both in Mystic, Conn.
What She’s Known For: Inventive dishes that celebrate the local seafood and family farms of coastal Connecticut. Leading the kitchens at two buzzy restaurants in a burgeoning New England food town.
“MY STEPFATHER is from Puerto Rico and I vividly remember the excitement of my first visit,” said Reneé Touponce. “We’d eat pinchos, or skewers, right off the grill. They were perfect bites.”
This recipe for grilled squid with crispy potato tostones, Touponce’s third Slow Food Fast contribution, pays delicious tribute to those formative tastes. A tangy pineapple-chile barbecue sauce lends tender, quick-cooking squid a tropical edge, while creamy, boiled baby potatoes are gently smashed, pan fried and seasoned with a flurry of freshly grated lime zest and punchy garlic. Eaten in tandem, the simple pairing conjures the festive flavors Touponce discovered as a child—and proudly keeps alive in her kitchens today.
—Kitty Greenwald is a chef, food writer and the co-author of ‘Slow Fires’ (Clarkson Potter)
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