A festive island-inspired meal of barbecue-glazed calamari and crispy smashed potato combines smashed potatoes with barbecue-glazed calamari.

ISLAND TIME Use a grilling glaze with pineapple, chile, and garlic to give tender squid an exotic tropical taste. Photo: EMMA FISHMAN for the Wall Street Journal, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Stephanie de Luca

Illustration: MICHAEL HOEWELER

The Chef: Renee Touponce

Her restaurants: are Port of Call and Oyster Club in Mystic (Conn.).

She is known for Innovative dishes that celebrate local seafood and the family farm of coastal Connecticut. Two buzzy New England restaurants.

“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.”

Touponce pays homage to these formative tastes with this recipe for grilled tostones and pineapple-chile barbecue sauce. The squid is examined in a pineapple-chile sauce that gives it a tropical touch. Meanwhile, the creamy, boiled potatoes are smashed, pan-fried, and then seasoned with freshly grated garlic and lime zest. The simple combination of flavors Touponce enjoyed as a young child and proudly maintains in her kitchen today is a delicious way to relive those festive flavors.

Grilled Squid with Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Grilled squid will taste tropical if you brush on a simple grilling glaze made of pineapple, chile, and garlic.

TOTAL TIMES: 30 minutes

SERVES: 4

EMMA FISHMAN FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, FOOD STYLING BY PEARL JONES, PROP STYLING BY STEPHANIE DE LUCA

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 pounds of baby potatoes
• Extra olive oil for frying is also available.
• One white onion, diced
• 1/4 cup diced apple
• 1/2 cup cilantro, plus extra for garnish
• Half a jalapeno stemmed and seeded, chopped
• 8 large cloves garlic, minced
• Half a cup of ketchup
• Water 2 tablespoons
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• Brown sugar, 2 tablespoons
• Soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon
• 1 guajillo chile, toasted (optional)
• 2 limes, juiced and zested
• 2 pounds of squid washed, cleaned, and dried
• Lemon wedges

Directions

1. Bring a medium-sized pot of salted, seasoned water to a rolling boil. Add potatoes. Boil until tender, 18 -20 minutes, depending on size. Drain. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle and press, gently squeeze each potato so that the skin splits but leaves the potato intact.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a small saucepan and heat it on medium. Add the onions and cook until soft (about 5 minutes). Add the pineapple, 1/2 cup of cilantro, jalapeno, and less than half of the garlic. Cook until the garlic is softened but not colored, approximately 3 minutes. Stir in the ketchup along with water, vinegar and brown sugar. If using chile, add it now. Stir until the chile is softened, approximately 10 minutes. Blend until smooth. Sprinkle with salt, and then set aside.
3. Fill a large saucepan with 1 1/2 inches of oil and heat it on medium. Add potatoes to the pan once it is hot. Be careful not to crowd them. Fry in batches, if necessary, until golden brown on one side. This should take 2-3 minutes. Flip over and continue to fry for 2-3 minutes. Drain off the oil, and then add the remaining garlic and lime juice, and zest.
4. Set a grill on high heat or a cast iron pan to high heat. Then, thread 8-12 skewers with the squid. Salt to taste. Reduce heat to medium. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side, brushing with the reserved chile sauce. Finish by grilling 1 minute on each side over high heat. The flesh should be soft but not slimy. Squid is best served hot, with potatoes as a side. Garnish the dish with lemon wedges, cilantro, and a sprinkle of salt.