Mediterranean-Style Squid Salad
By Andrew Zimmern
In this episode of Wild Game Kitchen, I tackle fresh squid, demonstrating how to break down this often-intimidating seafood into two delicious dishes. First, learn the essential technique of cleaning and preparing squid, then create a vibrant Mediterranean-style salad where quickly grilled squid is served with shaved fennel, cherry tomatoes, and grilled endive, and a bright lemon-caper dressing. Then, I’m sharing my rustic country-style squid on the plancha, where rings of squid are tossed with fresh breadcrumbs, chilies, and herbs, then cooked until golden and crispy, served alongside a rich homemade aioli.
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Grilled Squid Salad with Fennel, Tomatoes & Olives
Ingredients
Squid
- 18-24 ounces fresh squid
- Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt
- Grilled Italian bread, for serving
Salad
- 2 teaspoons capers
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 7 cornichon, thinly sliced
- 1 head fennel, halved and shaved thin on a mandolin
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup mild green or black olives, sliced (Castelvetrano or kalamata olives work well)
- 2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 heads Belgian endive, julienned lengthwise
- 2 fresno chiles, thinly sliced
- 1 large bunch Italian parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced chives
- 12 basil leaves, chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
Clean the squid, remove the pen and skin, and separate squid into tubes and tentacles. Split the tubes open into flat pieces, and using a sharp knife, make some crosshatched cuts on the flattened tubes. The scoring will help the grill flavor penetrate the squid.
Prepare a grill for high heat direct cooking. I like to use binchotan charcoal for this because it burns extremely hot with little smoke.
Season the squid with olive oil, thyme and salt. Thread the squid onto metal skewers. Grill over extremely high direct heat for just a brief few moments to slightly char in spots and cook through. Cook the tentacles and tubes separately, as the tentacles will take a few moments longer to cook. Cut the tentacle clusters in half, thinly slice the tubes. Reserve.
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the salad. Toss to combine. Add the grilled squid and toss. Serve the squid salad with grilled bread.
