Southeast Asian Squid Salad Recipes

AUTHENTIC SPICY THAI SQUID SALAD RECIPE - YAM PLA-MUEK

Steps:

• Prepare the bell peppers and onions by slicing thinly. Add the bell peppers to an ice cold water bath while preparing other ingredients.
• Slice the pickled garlic cloves and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the pickled garlic juice that was part of the jar.
• Chop up the chilies, pac peow, cilantro, and green onions. Set aside.
• Score both squids by making narrow slices through the squid lengthways, careful not to cut all the way through. Turn the squid and score again to make small diamond shapes. This will allow the strips to curl up with a beautiful presentation.
• Cut the scored squid into bite size pieces, about 1 inch in length.
• Next, you'll want to blanch the squid. Put the squid in a heat safe bowl. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Ladle in the hot water from the pot to the heat safe bowl, and allow the squid to be blanched for about 30 seconds. Drain the squid, and repeat this process 2-3 times until the squid is cooked through. This method allows you to not overcook the squid. Overcooking the squid will turn it rubbery.
• Once the squid is cooked, add in the palm sugar, toasted rice powder, fish sauce, reserved pickled garlic juice, and lime juice. Stir it up.
• Add in the drained bell peppers, onion, and the rest of the herbs along with the crushed peanuts.
• For presentation, you can place the salad on a dish and surround with lots of green vegetables and herbs, adding the Thai chiles on top for a beautiful presentation of the dish.

SPICY THAI SQUID WITH CHILES AND CILANTRO

Steps:

• Rinse squid under cool running water. Drain and transfer them to a paper towel to dry completely. Cut bodies into 1/2-inch rings and halve tentacles.
• Place a large skillet over high heat. Let pan get very hot, heating it for a good 5 minutes. Move half the squid from the paper towels to a bowl, so they don't stick when you slide them into the pan. Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Season squid with salt, slide them into the pan, and cook without moving for 1 minute. Flip squid and cook 30 seconds more. Repeat with remaining squid and oil. Don't overcrowd the pan; if your skillet doesn't fit the squid comfortably, cook them in smaller batches.
• In a medium bowl, combine cooked squid with lime juice and zest, fish sauce, shallot, jalapeño and cilantro. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour (or refrigerate for up to 6 hours, then bring to room temperature before serving). Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve mounded onto cucumber rounds or scooped into shot glasses (and served with a fork), with peanuts sprinkled on top.

SOUTHEAST ASIAN SQUID SALAD

Steps:

• Make dressing:
• Whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, sugar (to taste), salt, and chile (to taste) in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined.
• Cut and cook squid:
• Pull off and reserve flaps from squid bodies if attached. Cut squid bodies crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick rings and halve flaps lengthwise. If tentacle clusters are large, halve lengthwise and cut longer tentacles, if attached, crosswise into 2-inch pieces.
• Bring a 4- to 5-quart pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in squid and cook until it just turns opaque, about 30 seconds. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking. Drain well, then toss in a bowl with 2 tablespoons dressing (reserve remainder).
• Assemble salad:
• Cut carrots and cucumber lengthwise into thin wide ribbons using a vegetable peeler.
• Toss together carrot and cucumber ribbons, lettuce, cilantro, mint, and scallions in a large bowl, then add squid and reserved dressing and toss again to coat. Sprinkle squid salad evenly with peanuts before serving.

THAI-STYLE SQUID AND CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk lime juice, garlic, fish sauce, brown sugar, 1/4 cup oil, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a large bowl. Add cucumber, chiles, and peanuts and toss to coat. Set aside.
• Make sure squid is as dry as possible, then toss with remaining 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Separate bodies from tentacles.
• Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large cast-iron skillet until smoking. Sear half of the tentacles (don't try to do more than half-you don't want to crowd the pan), turning once halfway through, until lightly charred and opaque, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining tentacles, adding more oil if needed. Add a little more oil, then sear half of the bodies, turning once and picking up with tongs so that any liquid that has accumulated inside bodies can pour off into skillet and evaporate, until lightly charred and opaque, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to plate with cooked tentacles. Repeat with remaining bodies. Thinly slice bodies, then transfer squid to bowl with cucumber mixture and toss to coat.
• Arrange salad on a platter and drizzle remaining dressing over. Top with cilantro sprigs. Serve with rice alongside, if using.

SOUTHEAST ASIAN RICE NOODLES WITH CALAMARI AND HERBS

Steps:

• Cook squid in a 5-quart pot of well-salted boiling water, stirring once, until just opaque, about 1 minute. Transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to stop cooking, reserving boiling water in pot.
• Boil noodles in same water until just tender, about 3 minutes.
• When squid is cool, transfer to a plate, reserving ice bath, and pat dry.
• Drain noodles, then transfer to ice bath to stop cooking. Drain well, then snip with kitchen shears 2 or 3 times.
• Meanwhile, whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until sugar has dissolved. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined.
• Add noodles and calamari to dressing with cucumber, scallions, and herbs and toss well.