Following a Christmas holiday to Thailand that was a sensory feast, the family’s tastebuds are on hyper-drive and we have been seeking punchy Thai flavours. Our daughter, Zoya, loves crumbed calamari rings and orders them from every menu she finds them on. This calamari salad with a punchy dressing satisfies our cravings. Both Zoya and our 2-year-old, Roan, loved this as it has apples and cucumber, which are more kid-friendly than a lettuce-based salad. Younger kids can help peel the cucumber and make the dressing, older kids can whip up the whole salad by themselves, under supervision.
Ingredients
| 400 g | Squid, gutted and cleaned |
| 1 | Telegraph cucumber, peeled, cut into chunks |
| 1 | Granny Smith apple, cut into matchsticks |
| 20 | Nasturtium leaves, washed in ice water (Main) |
| 100 g | Radishes, quartered |
| 1 bunch | Chives, small |
| 1 | Leek |
| 1 drizzle | Olive oil |
For the dressing
| 90 g | Crunchy peanut butter, we use Pics |
| 50 ml | Coconut milk |
| 1 handful | Coriander leaves, and stalks, roughly chopped |
| 2 cm | Fresh ginger, peeled |
| ½ | Small red onions, peeled and roughly chopped |
| 1 | Lemon, zest and juice |
| 1 ½ tsp | Brown sugar, or grated palm sugar |
| 1 Tbsp | Fish sauce |
| 1 Tbsp | Soy sauce, or tamari |
| 1 tsp | Ground cumin |
| 1 tsp | Ground coriander |
| ½ tsp | Ground turmeric |
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Directions
- Lay the squid flat on a chopping board, slit one side to butterfly it open. With a sharp knife score the squid on the inside making x shapes lightly, taking care to not fully cut the squid flesh. Cut each squid tube into 4 uniform slices.
- Blitz all the ingredients for the dressing in a food processor until you have a smooth consistency. Check seasoning and add salt if required.
- Prepare all vegetables and herbs. Cut the white part of the leek and slice it into 1cm rounds. Caramelise the leek rounds in a hot pan with a drizzle of olive oil.
- This dish should be assembled just prior to eating or the squid will get cold and tough. There are two ways of cooking squid — one is long and slow and the other is a quick sear method. For this recipe we use the quick sear method. In a cast iron pan or skillet, lay the squid, scored inner-side down, on a high heat. Once the squid starts curling, quickly flip it to the other side and sear for 5 seconds. Drain on a paper towel.
- Arrange all ingredients on a serving platter. Dress with the dressing and enjoy immediately.
