Seared squid with chilli lime dipping sauce

Fiona Anderson

What better way to celebrate spring than with stunning local seafood and fresh salad greens? Seared squid with a dipping sauce and Asian salad greens is as simple as it gets.

Ingredients

500 g	Squid tubes (Main)
80 ml	Peanut oil
6	Spring onions, finely sliced
2 cups	Fresh coriander
1 ½ cups	Fresh mint
2 cups	Mustard green leaves, or mibuna*
½ cup	Chilli sauce, use the chilli lime dipping sauce below

Chilli lime dipping sauce

1 tsp	Dried chilli flakes
1 tsp	Flaky sea salt
6	Limes
3 Tbsp	Fish sauce
3 Tbsp	Caster sugar

Directions

1. Slice squid tubes in half, remove any internal membranes and score diagonally along the inner sides.
2. Heat a little of the peanut oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a very high heat and, in batches, cook squid quickly, scored-side down, for 1 minute. Turn squid over and cook for a further 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper, remove from pan and divide between 4 plates.
3. Toss salad greens in a bowl to combine and serve on the side of the squid. Generously drizzle the dipping sauce over the squid and serve immediately.

Chilli lime dipping sauce

1. Place chilli flakes and salt into a mortar and pestle and grind together until chilli flakes become a fine powder.
2. Zest 2 limes before juicing them. all Add the lime, fish sauce and sugar and muddle until sugar is dissolved. Keeps for 1 week. Makes ½ cup.

Bevan recommends

If fresh limes are not available just use 3-4 small meyer lemons instead.

*Mibuna is a Japanese green that grows in tight clusters. It has a light mustard flavour.