Ingredients
Squid and Marinade
- 2 squid, or calamari tubes and tentacles
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tsp baharat
- Juice of half a lemon
- Sea salt to taste (for cooking)
Salad
- 1⁄2 a shallot, sliced very thin
- 2 tbsp Italian or flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1⁄2 English cucumber, finely diced
- 2 tsp capers
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (try a Spanish oil for the best balance)
- 1 tbsp nigella seeds
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste (baharat already contains a lot of both white and black peppers, so only add it if needed)
- 1⁄2 tsp sherry vinegar
Method
Start by cleaning the squid. First, pull the heads away from the bodies to detach, then set aside. Then remove any connective tissue or other debris from inside the body and set aside. Next, give everything a gentle rinse in cold running water. Check the heads or tentacles and make sure that they've been de-beaked. (If they haven't, simply push the beaks out and discard.) Now you can cut the bodies (tubes) in half lengthwise, and add to a bowl with the heads (tentacles). Add all the marinade ingredients except the salt, and toss to evenly coat. Cover and set aside in the fridge for at least an hour—but no longer than six hours, or else the lemon juice will toughen and chemically cook the squid. In a medium bowl, add the shallot, parsley, cucumber, capers, olive oil, and nigella seeds. Toss to combine and set aside. Discard the marinade and transfer squid to a hot grill or pan; fry them in a very hot, dry skillet for about 1.5 minutes per side—no need to add oil, the squid will hold onto enough from the marinade. Transfer the squid to a cutting board and cut into thin strips. Leave the tentacles whole or cut in half, depending on size. Add the cooked squid to the rest of the salad ingredients, season with the vinegar, salt and pepper, and toss to evenly coat. Taste and adjust for salt if needed. Serve immediately with a glass of bubbly, Chef & Somm style.
