Recipe: Mediterranean Squid and Roasted Vegetable Salad

Jun 7 2008 by Sheila Benson and Sean Millar, Liverpool Daily Post

IT'S the time of year when our customers are looking for lighter, healthier options, but don't start thinking healthy means boring, salads can be just as tasty and seasonal as any other meal.

This Mediterranean Squid and Roasted Vegetable Salad is served with a tangy dressing which compliments the sweetness of the peppers and shallots wonderfully. The unusual garnish of crisp fried lemon rind adds just the right texture to round off the dish. Serve as a starter or with plenty of crusty bread as a lunch or supper dish.

To serve four, take 3large red peppers, 16 small shallots peeled, 4 fresh bruised rosemary sprigs, 4 fresh bruised thyme sprigs, 1 tbsp olive oil, 8 garlic cloves, peeled, 575g (1lb 4 oz) baby squid, 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme. For the dressing you'll need 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, juice of one lemon, 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper. To finish, take the rind of two lemons, finely pared, vegetable oil for frying and parsley sprigs.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7. Halve, core and de-seed the peppers, then cut the flesh into broad strips. Place in a roasting dish with shallots and herb sprigs. Add 3tbsp of the oil and toss the vegetables to coast with the oil. Roast for 20 minutes.

Add the garlic cloves to the tin stirring the vegetables once and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are golden and tender. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the squid. Firmly pull the tentacles out from the body section, making sure the soft innards come out too. Cut the head from the tentacles just in front of the eyes. Put the tentacles to one side for now.

Pull out the thin transparent quill from the body and discard. Remove the wings at each side and put together with the tentacles for later. Slice open the body and lay flat with the inside facing upwards, then score a criss-cross pattern with a sharp knife. Cut into small squares.

Wash the squid and pat dry on kitchen paper. Cut the finely pared lemon rind into julienne strips and fry in a little hot vegetable oil for 30 seconds until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little sea salt.

Shake all the dressing ingredients together in a screw topped jar until evenly blended and pour over the cooled vegetables, tossing to coat.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a non stick frying pan. When it is hot, add the squid and quickly stir fry for one minute. Stir in the thyme, remove from the heat and toss with the vegetables, before leaving to cool slightly for 10 minutes. Serve with the lemon rind shreds and parsley.

We often forget that squid doesn't have to come deep fried and this dish is a great way to remind ourselves just how delicious this seafood is when freshly cooked.

* Sheila Benson and Sean Millar are at The Side Door, 29a Hope Street, Liverpool. Tel: 0151 707 7888.