Salt and Pepper Calamari Salad Recipe

Main
medium
4
60 minutes

PT1H

Paul Welburn captures pure summer sunshine in his salt and pepper calamari salad recipe, with charred watermelon and a silky smooth avocado purée adding plenty of light, refreshing flavours. Squid or cuttlefish could be used to make the calamari; just ask your fishmonger for help preparing it if unsure.

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Ingredients

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Imperial

Salt and pepper calamari

500g of squid, cleaned and cut into thin rings and tentacles
100g of plain flour
50g of cornflour
25g of baking powder
190ml of sparkling water
1/2 tsp sea salt flakes
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 lime, cut into wedges
oil, for deep-frying

Charred watermelon

1/2 watermelon
2 tsp olive oil
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Dressing

50g of honey
75ml of sherry vinegar
2 tbsp of natural yoghurt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 lime, juiced

Avocado purée

2 avocados
200ml of rapeseed oil
1 lime, juiced
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Salad

50g of black quinoa
1 mixed salad leaves, large pack

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Blender
Deep-fryer

Begin by cooking the quinoa. Bring a small pan of water to the boil over a medium heat then add the quinoa and cook for 10–12 minutes until plumped up and just tender. Drain and spread out on a plate or tray to cool

50g of black quinoa

Meanwhile, place a griddle pan over a high heat. Peel the watermelon and cut into 3cm thick slices. Brush with the oil and season with a little salt and pepper before placing the slices on the hot griddle

1/2 watermelon
2 tsp olive oil
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Grill for a few minutes, turning over halfway through, so that both sides are nicely charred. Set aside to cool slightly before cutting into bite-sized chunks. You can also cook the melon on a barbecue, if preferred

Place the dressing ingredients in a jar, seal and shake well to emulsify (alternatively, whisk together in a bowl until well combined)

50g of honey
75ml of sherry vinegar
200ml of rapeseed oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 lime, juiced

Peel and stone the avocados, scooping the flesh into a blender. Add the remaining ingredients and blitz to form a smooth purée. Add spoonfuls of the purée to each serving plate

2 avocados
2 tbsp of natural yoghurt
1 lime, juiced
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Preheat a deep-fryer with oil to 170°C

oil, for deep-frying

For the calamari, mix together both flours and the baking powder in a bowl then whisk in the sparkling water to achieve a smooth batter – add a little more water if it seems too thick

100g of plain flour
50g of cornflour
25g of baking powder
190ml of sparkling water

Dip the squid pieces in the batter so that they are fully coated then deep-fry in batches for 3–4 minutes until crisp and light golden in colour. Drain any excess oil on kitchen paper and season well with the salt and pepper. Squeeze over the juice from 1 wedge of lime and reserve the rest for serving

500g of squid, cleaned and cut into thin rings and tentacles
1/2 tsp sea salt flakes
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 lime, cut into wedges

Place the cooked quinoa, charred watermelon and salad leaves in a large bowl and toss together with 2–3 tbsp of the dressing. Divide between the serving plates then top with the salt and pepper calamari. Serve with the extra lime wedges and a little more dressing drizzled over