Smoked Calamari Rings With Black Rice!!!

[leah elisheva]

Happy Tuesday Fabulous Smokers!

I had some frozen calamari rings from the fabulous "Bexx" line from Portugal which I adore (all of their frozen goods) and decided to smoke them up!

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

I mixed some raw Vidalia onion, chopped sweet raw peppers and some fresh basil,

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

Started boiling some black rice,

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

Mopped the rings through safflower oil for high heat,

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

oiled the grill grates on the little smoker too, and layered on the rings!

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

I smoked these on the humble gas smoker with luscious hickory chips, lowish heat (240 maybe?) for 15 minutes.

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

And I added the onion mixture to the black rice, once eating nearly half of it raw,

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

And started plating my little lunchtime creation...
adding some fresh basil sprigs...

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

And then the smoked calamari which smelled incredibly and got lovely color!

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

And then I used some simple albeit wonderful and healthful seasonings: avocado oil, a freshly squeezed lemon - & it's ZEST -

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

And my new favorite "crush item" from Trader Joe's, which is a grinder of smoked paprika flakes, sea salt, garlic and basil. WON-DER-FUL! I am now putting that on everything! Even the dogs! Well, OK you get the idea, as it is MARVELOUS! Go grind away!!!

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

And then I squeezed the lemon and added all the above jazz...and VOILA! The food was just downright harmonious and amazing, if I may be so humble and admit such myself!

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

These are soft and succulent, and I have had this BEXX line deep fried in coconut flour too and it is baby soft! A fabulous product!

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

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• leah elisheva
• May 26, 2015

Here's wishing everyone a little calamari safari today and with fabulous things!
Thanks for sharing in my lunch!
Cheers!!!! - Leah

 

[Bearcarver]

That looks Awesome, Leah!!

Looks Mighty Tasty!!

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I gotta find some of those frozen rings!!

The only Calamari I ever had was as an appetizer "Fried" from local Steak Hoagie joints, and those are like seasoned rubber bands!!

Bear

 

[bigd3077]

Almost looks to pretty to eat!

 

[daveomak]

Those rings look awesome.... Never seen them that fat.... one awesome and gorgeous meal....

 

[tropics]

Leah That is some nice looking Calamari,it took on a lot of smoke color.Your plating is super every time.

 

[disco]

Looks great and wonderful photography as usual. Thanks!

Disco

 

[mummel]

Wow +1

 

[leah elisheva]

Thank you so much everyone!!! Bear; I know what you mean with tough rings normally. This frozen "Bexx" line of seafood and fish is just superb! Softest calamari rings I have ever tasted anywhere - as mentioned, great when deep fried in a healthy flour (coconut) and healthy oil (grapeseed or avocado or rice bran) and smoked just made them savory and soft and amazing really too! Thanks tons!

OH - and their other frozen fish - whole sardines, mackerel, hake, nile perch, smelts and so forth; don't taste frozen at all and are fantastic! No added junk - all wild caught in Portugal! I think you'd love the line Bear!

And Bigd3077; thanks very much! I love plating just as much as eating and am touched that my simpleton way is enjoyed out there! Thanks indeed!

Hi Dave! I appreciate your words tons, and can recommend this brand! The rings actually shrunk a teeny bit when smoking but are pretty fat & so soft that you can just pulled the fried ones apart - making an onion ring appear as it's hard as a rock by comparison! A fun line of products! Thanks so much for the good words!

Tropics, thanks too! The smoke color did get on them and quickly, but the HICKORY flavor really seemed to soften and flavor these too! A fun choice! Thanks for such nice plating words!

Oh Disco! Happy summer to you great folks in the north! Thank you ever so much for points and kind words! I've been out of touch and miss you all here, and must check out your blog too as I am WAY overdue! Many thanks!!!!!

Thanks very much Mummel! Your "WOW + 1" did make me smile! That's very kind.

Cheers to everyone! It's almost wine o'clock, or so I think, and so may everyone enjoy the sunshine and then the cocktail hour too! - Leah

 

[atomicsmoke]

Nice looking rings.

 

[leah elisheva]

Thank you Atomicsmoke! These were tasty! Cheers! - Leah

 

[daveomak]

Thank you so much everyone!!!

Hi Dave! I appreciate your words tons, and can recommend this brand! The rings actually shrunk a teeny bit when smoking but are pretty fat & so soft that you can just pulled the fried ones apart - making an onion ring appear as it's hard as a rock by comparison! A fun line of products! Thanks so much for the good words!


Cheers to everyone! It's almost wine o'clock, or so I think, and so may everyone enjoy the sunshine and then the cocktail hour too! - Leah

When I had my charter business, I had access to 25# blocks of frozen squid... $7 for 25#'s.... I always used a few for bait but we always had fresh calamari to eat at home and on the boat.. the box said " for bait only " but that was BS....

 

[leah elisheva]

Oh Dave, what a delicacy!
I would have been gulping bait left & right!
You were so fortunate! What an amazing stash you had access too!
That's wild!!
Happy midweek! Make today delicious!
Cheers! - Leah

 

[foamheart]

Wow! Thats the largest rubber bands I ever saw! I was in the service in Spain when I had my first Calamari and I fell in love. They are so hard to prepare though, half the places that sell 'em don't know how to cook them so they are edible. Those are monsterious! Most that I have seen were maybe hand length whole.

I am laughing at Daves story..... I had a boss once who told our manufactures after a fishing trip that I would swap the fish for the bait to take home.

I like Calamari and yours look great!

 

[leah elisheva]

Thank you so much Foamheart!

And the calamari in Spain just must have been Godlike and amazing! Lucky you!

But yes, I need a T-shirt that says; "I eat bait & I like it!" Smiles.

Happy midweek!!!! Cheers!!! - Leah

 

[Bearcarver]

Leah,

You said from Portugal, and Frozen, but "Where" do you buy it?  Super Market? Specialty shop? Seafood store?

Bear

 

[leah elisheva]

Hi Bear!



I buy it in our regular grocery store, "Market Basket" (that went through the famous family feud and closing and reopening) here in New England. The brand is "BEXX" and most of their things are in an orange bag in the frozen section but the calamari rings are in a bright yellow bag. Amazing!



I hope you can find some!!! Cheers! - Leah (Had their smelts today - also frozen from Portugal - and they were amazing)!!!

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• leah elisheva
• May 27, 2015

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• leah elisheva
• May 27, 2015

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• leah elisheva
• May 27, 2015

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• leah elisheva
• May 27, 2015

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• leah elisheva
• May 27, 2015

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• leah elisheva
• May 27, 2015

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• leah elisheva
• May 27, 2015

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• leah elisheva
• May 27, 2015

 

[Bearcarver]

Thanks a Bunch, Leah!!

I will definitely be on the lookout---They must be great when they aren't breaded & turned into Rubber Bands!!!

Those Smelts look Great too. I haven't had them since My Dad & I used to catch them through the ice, back in the 60s & 70s at Fairview Lake in Pike County, PA.

Bear

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Looks tasty Leah! I quit eating calamari in restaurants unless the tentacles are attached! It all started after I listened to this Doppelgangers on This American Life:

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/484/doppelgangers

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• dirtsailor2003
• May 27, 2015

 

[leah elisheva]

Fantastic Dirtsailor! That's wonderful!

I stopped eating in restaurants altogether, when I got a dog! And it was one of the best things I ever did!

And while I love to get the real full squid and clean them myself, which I do at times, these mere rings are the softest I have ever had anywhere in the world!

Thanks for the great words and links as well!

Happy midweek of wonderful things to you!!!! It's finally summer!!!! Yay!!!!

Cheers! - Leah

 

[bdskelly]

yummmmmm.  Largest Calamari that I've ever seen. b