spicy grilled calamari

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Spicy Grilled Calamari

When my sister moved away, she left me with a bunch of groceries she didn't want to throw away, including a package of frozen baby squid—which I promptly shoved in the freezer and ignored for a few months while I tried to work up the nerve to cook squid for the first time. When I finally bit the bullet, I decided I didn't want to go the lemon/oregano/garlic/balsamic that's ubiquitous in Mediterranean restaurants, and used a smoked paprika, lemon and cumin marinade inspired by North African spices.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound cleaned baby squid (tubes and tentacles)
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • bamboo skewers
  • lemon wedges, for garnish