Ingredients
Serves 4 (as an entree)
3 (about 400g) squid tubes, cleaned
60ml light olive oil
½ teaspoon each of salt flakes and freshly ground white pepper
Fennel salad
2 small bulbs of fennel, washed and thinly sliced using a mandolin
½ small red onion, thinly sliced lengthways
¼ cup coarsely chopped mint
¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Sherry vinegar and shallot dressing
50g peeled shallots (eschalots)
50ml sherry vinegar
150ml olive oil
1 tablespoon curly parsley, very finely chopped
Method
Cut squid tubes open, clean any innards and score the inside flesh with a cross-hatch pattern, making sure you don?t cut all the way through. Cut each squid into 3cm x 5cm pieces and place in a bowl with olive oil, salt flakes and pepper, cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
For fennel salad, combine fennel, onion, mint, parsley and toss lightly to combine.
For the dressing: Roughly chop the shallots and place in a food processor. Add the sherry vinegar and blitz. Very slowly add the oil so the dressing doesn?t separate. Once all the oil is added stir in the parsley and transfer to a bottle or jar and refrigerate until required.
Heat a chargrill or barbecue over high heat, cook squid for 1-2 minutes or until it curls, turn and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until cooked through.
To serve, toss salad with a good splash of the dressing, place into bowls and top with squid. Drizzle with a little more dressing, serve immediately.