Calamari salad with apple, cucumber and nasturtium

Tam West

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

Directions

1. 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.
2. Blitz all the ingredients for the dressing in a food processor until you have a smooth consistency. Check seasoning and add salt if required.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Arrange all ingredients on a serving platter. Dress with the dressing and enjoy immediately.