A Grilled Squid Salad for the Start of Summer
something different for the summer grill paired with crunchy veg, crispy rice & an herbaceous-lime-fish sauce dressing
No doubt, a lightly charred, loaded hot dog and a juicy burger with all the fixins right off the grill will always be my nostalgic fare-of-choice for Memorial Day weekend, but sometimes adding something new and different brings a little intrigue into the holiday mix. Last weekend (pre-holiday), I spotted some nice fresh Long Island squid at my local greenmarket, straight off the boat from Montauk, and snagged some for a lite meal. I will generally always say ‘yes’ to squid, blæsprutte in Danish — great texture (when prepared well), cost-effective, just enough brininess, yet still very open to taking on all sorts of flavors and seasoning…and it’s an excellent vehicle for dredging in breadcrumbs, frying until crispy and golden, and then swinging through a pool of lush, creamy aioli. In this instance, I chose to go the “squid salad” route of preparation (currently living in a top-floor small NYC apartment with less than ideal ventilation does not always bode well for deep frying activities). At the moment, I’m working with the “urban resources” I have on-hand (read: a cast-iron grill pan rather than an actual grill and a backyard). But maybe that makes this dish even more versatile and inviting. I’d venture to say that this salad would be excellent all summer long in any setting—vacationing at the beach, relaxing in a coastal summerhouse or just summering right at home which sometimes can be the most relaxing of all situations. This salad kind of has all the things…it’s refreshing, hydrating, tangy, crispy, satisfying and a tad smokey. If you don’t have access to fresh seafood, you could easily swap the squid for a flank, skirt or hanger steak, chicken, or meaty veg like summer squash/zucchini to toss on the grill. And as the recipe below notes, I used a trio of summery herbs (chamomile, shiso and local lemongrass) from Lani’s Farm which aren’t necessarily readily available at most groceries or farm stands, but you can absolutely swap in different seasonal herbs, really whatever you have on hand, to turn the tide of the dressing. Exchange the cucumbers and radish for whatever fresh veg you have lying around. I think crunchy, crispy, punchy ones work best with the squid as they compliment it’s tender, toothsome texture and soak up the dressing nicely. As for additional toppings, I honestly just leaned to leftovers in the fridge (which meant day-old rice that was begging to be fried up in a non-stick or ceramic pan gaining golden crispness that shines through and makes the dish pop). I added dabs of jammy egg yolk from a 7-minute boiled egg for a little more umami and then threw in some toasted and crushed almonds just for extra crunch. If I’d had a fresh red or green chili lying around, that would have put this salad over the top, but you can settle for a sprinkle of a nice peppercorn or chili flake (I threw in some red kampot peppercorn from Basis Nuts—a wonderful purpose-driven nut and spice company based in Denmark that sadly has now closed…small businesses are tough y’all, but they’re what keeps intentionality in food (and most all things) going strong).
Outside of the combo of ingredients and flavorings, the real key for any good squid dish, is the preparation of the actual squid itself. Texture can turn from nice and silky to unpleasantly chewy and rubbery very easily and that makes me sad, and I want you (and me) to be happy and smiling and licking lips eating this dish. So…I’ve found tenderizing the squid with a baking soda mixture ahead of time really helps, acidic dairy like buttermilk or yogurt also does a good job, but baking soda is the winner for me. If you’ve got the time and patience, scoring larger pieces of the body in a fine diamond pattern will allow for more flavor of the marinade or dressing to seep in. Bring the squid pieces to room temperature before grilling and be sure to pat them dry really well (otherwise they’ll steam when cooking rather than getting some nice grill marks). And then a quick sear over a hot grill…creamy pieces of the body, crispy charred bits of the tentacles. That’s my ideal end result. I will note that cooking the squid in a grill pan, or any cast-iron pan without actual grates, produces some water in the pan, it’s inevitable as much as you dry off the squid pre-cooking and as high as you have the heat. The squid will release some water, so beware to cook high and fast and tip out water as necessary. Bring the squid off the grill, season with salt and pepper, cool for 2-3 minutes, slice into thin rings, toss with the veg and dressing and any other components and you’re ready to go. It’s worth noting that the mix of all things in this salad works so well that it can stand up even the next day for snacking or a second meal straight from the fridge. Recipe as follows…but first a tiny plug…
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Grilled Squid Salad with Cucumber, Radish, Crispy Rice & Herbaceous Lime-Soy-Fish Sauce Dressing
Serves 4-6
Marinate, tenderize & grill the squid:
1 pound / 1/2kg squid, bodies and tentacles cleaned (beak removed, inner “plasticy” piece removed from the body’s tube, bit of skin from the hood removed); if the bodies are quite large, cut them into manageable pieces to grill 4-6 inches in length or so
*if desired - marinate the squid 2-3 hours or overnight in some buttermilk or yogurt
1 hour before cooking, mix the squid pieces with the following and let it come up to room temperature:
10g baking soda (about 2 teaspoons)
juice from 1/2 lemon
4g sugar (about 1/2 teaspoon)
6g salt (about 1 teaspoon)
Rinse off the baking soda mixture. Pat the squid dry as well as possible.
Heat an oiled grill or grill pan on high heat. Sear the squid 2-4 minutes on each side until the bodies become creamy white and nice grill marks appear. Hold the body pieces down on the grill as needed—they like to curl up and discard excess water released as cooking if possible. I like to let the tentacles go a little longer and get super crispy.
Place pieces on a cooling rack and season with salt and pepper. Cut the bodies into thin rings, keep the tentacles whole if they’re a nice small size.
For the dressing: I admit I sort of winged this sauce, so adjust quantities to your tastebuds as you see fit.
1-2 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane or finely minced (or sub in some green garlic, about 2 teaspoons finely minced)
1 small shallot finely minced
zest and juice of 2 limes about 80g
a good splash of tamari or soy-sauce, about 12-15g / or 2 teaspoons or so
60g rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar will also work)
20g mirin
40-60g fish sauce depending on your preference
40g or so of neutral oil like rapeseed, canola or grapeseed oil
20-25g sugar (enough to create some sweetness but not overpower the dressing’s tanginess)
kosher salt or sea salt to taste
1 small fresh red or green chili, de-seeded and finely minced if you have it lying around, or a nice black, red or white peppercorn ground would be nice too
Mix all the above together and then choose your herbs to add in: let your flavor dreams run wild. Like I said, I had fresh shiso, chamomile and a locally-grown lemongrass all from the greenmarket, but you could really use any mix that suits you - cilantro, chives, dill, thai basil, lemon thyme…all could be nice. I’d say 2-3 tablespoons of each minced or hand torn is a good amount to target. Your end result will be a like if nuoc cham and salsa verde came together and had a delicious sauce baby.
Add in:
2-3 cucumbers, cut into small geometric pieces
4-5 radishes sliced, not too thin, not too thick
radish greens if they’re nice and tasty
*or sub in any vegetables of your choice
Finishers:
as mentioned I had some leftover jasmine rice in the fridge. crisp about 1/2 - 1 cup up in a small-medium non-stick or ceramic pan. Add 1 teaspoon oil to the pan, heat over medium-high, add a thin layer of the rice to the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes until golden and crispy, flip and repeat. Turn down the heat if it’s noticeably burning or browning too quickly.
dabs of egg yolk from a 7-minute egg
2-3 tablespoons of toasted almonds, roughly chopped
To serve:
Season the cukes and radish with salt (and peppercorn if using), mix in the squid and a few tablespoons of the dressing and toss until all is well coated. Mix in the almonds and craggy bits of the crispy rice and the radish greens. Plate it up and garnish with egg yolk and more crispy rice bits. Cheers to the start of summer and all the grilling and barbecues you can dream of.
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