Spicy calamari salad
February 22, 2012 in Easy dinners, Healthy eating
This recipe is a new favourite of mine. It kicks ass. Spicy, Cajun-ey, chilli ass with peppery salad leaves wilted into it just before serving.
It’s a winner as a starter or fatten it up with fresh, popping baby tomatoes, colourful peppers and perhaps some baba potatoes. You can also use all sorts of leaves for this. Butter lettuce would be lovely and soft, rocket would pack a punch or you could Asian things up with some lovely fresh bok choi (Chinese scabbage).
Spicy calamari salad
Author: Caro de Waal
Recipe type: Starter or main
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Warm Cajun calamari salad with fresh chilli and wilted greens.
Ingredients
- 500g baby calamari tubes and tentacles
- 3 T Cajun spice
- 1 t smoked paprika (you can use normal if you like, then make it 2 t)
- 2 fresh chillis (depending on hot you like it)
- 1 pinch saffron (if you have it hanging around)
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 packet Italian salad leaves
- Vegetable/canola oil
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Place the calamari into a colander and run fresh water over it to get rid of any sliminess from being in packaging. Shake it to remove as much water as possible.
- Place all the spices, garlic and calamari in a bowl and marinade from 10 mins – 1 day. A few hours will do just fine.
- Heat a pan until very hot, add some oil and pan-fry the calamari in batches until just cooked. +- 3-5 mins per batch.
- Place it all back into the pan with the leaves and turn for literally 30 seconds until everything is mixed and coated and the leaves are starting to wilt. You don’t want them to shrink to nothingness.
- Serve immediately.
- TIP: I always cook the little heads for longer until they are starting to get crispy.
Couldn’t you just DIG in right now…?
Enjoy lovely people,
Sous Chef said on February 22, 2012
Does the oil go in with the spices or do you add it later to the hot pan? This sounds like my type of salad.
Food24 Ed said on February 23, 2012
Hi Sous, omgarlic, will add that in… Just the pan
ninatimm said on February 22, 2012
“Dig in Nina”, did you say that or was it my imagination???
Chef Caro said on February 24, 2012
Yum! It’s also such a versatile dish – you can add pretty much anything.
Paul said on March 9, 2012
This is yummy – I know as I ate this dish after it was photographed
Rachel said on March 28, 2012
This looks so yummy and spicy – a great summer meal – thanks!
Jacques said on March 28, 2012
Woooo, could eat that right now!