Calamari Salad
Asian Quick Recipes Simple Recipes Fish and Seafood Low Calorie Recipes Salads
The calamari melts in your mouth, the Thai-inspired dressing balances sour, sweet, salty, and spicy flavors... I wanted to create an incantation for warmth and freshness.
Ingredients
400 g small calamari
1/2 red onion
1/4 bunch parsley (or fresh cilantro)
3 large mint leaves
1/2 lemon
salt
Dressing
2 limes
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 kaffir lime leaf (or grated zest from 1/2 lime)
2 garlic cloves
1 small red hot pepper (can be dried)
Servings: 2
How to prepare calamari salad
- Clean the calamari following the instructions here. Cut the body (tube) into rings, and leave the tentacles whole.
* I left the skin on the tentacles because that purple color pairs beautifully with the greens, making the salad more visually appealing. - Bring a small pot of water with salt and juice from 1/2 lemon to a boil. When boiling, add the calamari and blanch for 15 seconds (just until the flesh becomes opaque). Quickly remove with a slotted spoon into a bowl.
* if using larger calamari with thicker tube walls, increase the cooking time to 30-45 seconds - Prepare the dressing: crush the garlic cloves with the hot pepper in a mortar (if dried, rehydrate it in hot water for 10 minutes) until they form a paste.
- Squeeze the juice from the limes. Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Add the garlic and hot pepper paste, vinegar, sesame oil, fish sauce, and crumbled lime leaf (or grated lime zest). Mix well and taste.
- Finely chop the onion and add it to the calamari. Pour the dressing over and mix well. Taste for salt and add if needed (fish sauce is salty!).
- Add the finely chopped herbs. Let it rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour for the flavors to meld, then serve. Arrange as a mound on a platter, making sure to place the tentacles on top as they look beautiful.
