David’s charred squid skewer

“THERE’S SOMETHING PRIMAL AND COMFORTING ABOUT FIRE. I WOULD RATHER LIGHT A FIRE THAN PUT A RADIATOR ON”

Interview: Mark Riddaway / Illustration: Megan St Clair

As barbecue season kicks into gear, some of Borough Market’s experts have been sharing the secrets of their favourite fire-cooked dishes. David Carter is the restaurateur behind Borough’s OMA and AGORA. At OMA, one of the many skillfully executed, Greek-inspired small plates on offer is a squid skewer dressed in a simple olive oil marinade.

In common with his other London restaurants, OMA and AGORA both have a significant fire-cooking slant to their menus. It’s only natural. David was born and raised in Barbados, where cooking over wood or charcoal is central to the island’s cuisine, social scene, family life – everything, really. “Every day is 27, 28 degrees, so it’s just part of the culture,” he says. “What could be nicer?”

The dish

This is a very simple dish. We cut off the head and wings of the squid and just use the body. We score it quite heavily, which means that when we grill it we get this amazing texture – squid can be quite chewy if you’re not careful. We brush it with olive oil that we’ve infused with confit garlic, za’atar and lemon juice. The confit garlic is almost a bit pasty in texture, in a good way, and that really adds to the feel of the dish. We then grill it over charcoal and serve it straight away.

The inspiration

This dish was inspired by a restaurant in Athens called Travolta. OMA and AGORA are both rooted in Greece, but in a broad way. Not all the flavours are Greek – like the za’atar we use here. We did a lot of travelling when we were working on the concept, including to Tel Aviv, and that’s where the idea of adding za’atar came from. We can get squid through most of the year, but I think this really lends itself to being a summer dish – it has that lightness. I’d maybe have it with something tomato-based, with high acidity. A Greek salad, maybe. Light, vibrant dishes and zippy wines.

The ingredients

With so few ingredients, there’s nowhere to hide. Everything has to be good. The squid comes from the southwest of the country. It’s an amazing product. Most of the fish and seafood we use comes from Cornwall, from Brixham market. It’s caught and landed one day, it comes to us overnight, and the next day it’s in our kitchen. One of the great things about being such a busy restaurant is that whatever comes in goes pretty fast – it arrives and we cook it. The olive oil comes from a regenerative farm in Crete, run by two brothers. They’re actually British – one of them married a local girl. They moved out there to Zakros and started this incredible olive oil project. We’re now using it across all our sites.

The method

The trick is to have the grill hot, but not too hot. You don’t want to blacken the squid; you want it to be a deep dark brown. It takes about 6 minutes, so not long. With squid, or with almost any fish, you want to pull it off the grill when it’s a little under. Because of the residual heat, it’s still cooking when it gets to the table. If you overcook it, it becomes chewy and rubbery, which is horrible.

The fuel

We use very pure charcoal. With grilling, it’s about the fuel, but it’s also about the interplay with the fat – that’s what creates the flavour. When the oil from the squid drips onto the coals it creates smoke, which then permeates the food above. That’s what grilling is all about – when fat renders onto hot coals, and the coals get a bit angry, and all that flavour is released into the air. You can’t get those flavours on a stove.

The appeal

I grew up in Barbados. I grew up outdoors. There, every day is a barbecue – it’s just part of the culture, so cooking over fire is what I’m most comfortable with, for sure. There are so many variables, with the fuel and the heat, and that’s what makes it interesting. It’s such a versatile and simple way of cooking – all you need is some charcoal on a beach and you have a barbecue. There’s something primitive and primal about it, something comforting, warming. I’ve got a fireplace at home, and when it’s freezing outside I would rather light a fire than put a radiator on.

The pro tip

Have fun with it. Some people take barbecuing far too seriously. It should be social and fun, and if you don’t cook something perfectly, who cares? Also, be patient. When you light it, let it burn out properly. When it’s flaming, that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily lit – with bad charcoal, it’s the chemicals that are burning, and if you cook too early your food will just taste of lighter fuel. Let it come to temperature, let it do its thing. Wait until it’s glowing red or white, and don’t be frightened to move it around. If it’s too hot, disperse it; if it’s not hot enough, bring it together. Play with it. The fire is your friend!