Italian Calamari Salad
User Reviews
5
Italian Calamari Salad
Description
This salad begins by tenderizing calamari with salt and baking soda before boiling briefly until cooked through and then shocking in ice water to stop cooking and retain firm texture. The vegetables—celery, roasted red peppers, Sicilian green olives, red onion—are combined to add crunch, sweetness, and briny notes. Fresh grated garlic, parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil create a vibrant, tangy dressing that complements the mild seafood flavor.
Chilling the salad for several hours or overnight lets the flavors develop fully. Before serving, taste and adjust seasoning with additional lemon juice, olive oil, salt, or pepper. The salad is suited as a starter or a cool seafood side dish during warm weather. Squid size affects ring thickness and tenderness; smaller squid around 6 inches yield tender bites.
Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to three days, allowing for advance preparation. The use of baking soda for tenderizing and shock cooling are key steps to achieving the ideal calamari texture.
Ingredients
Mix together in bowl
- 1 pound (454g) calamari cleaned, tubes cut into 1/2" circles and tentacles left whole
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- water enough to cover calamari in bowl
For the salad
- 1 cup celery thinly sliced on a bias, chopped
- 1/2 cup red roasted peppers chopped
- 1/2 cup green olives pitted and sliced, Sicilian
- 1/4 cup red onion diced
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley minced
- 4 tablespoons (60g) lemon juice plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup (120g) extra virgin olive oil plus more to taste
- salt to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes crushed, hot
Instructions
- Rinse and clean calamari then cut into rings and cut any large tentacles in half. Mix calamari with salt, baking soda, and enough water to cover and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Place celery, red roasted peppers, olives, onion, garlic, parsley, crushed red pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil into a large bowl and mix together.
- Set up a bowl of ice water and bring a large pot of water to boil.
- Drain calamari well then boil in water for two minutes or until cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, place cooked calamari in the ice water bath immediately.
- Once calamari is cold, drain and then add to the bowl of veggies and mix together. Taste test and season with salt to taste.
- Chill the calamari salad in the fridge for at least a couple of hours. Before serving, taste test and add more olive oil, lemon juice, or salt and pepper if required. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use squid about 6 inches long for tender rings; cut larger squid into thinner rings and tentacles into smaller pieces.
- Tenderize calamari with baking soda and salt before boiling briefly to achieve optimal texture.
- Chill the salad for at least a couple of hours or preferably overnight to enhance flavor melding.
- Adjust seasoning with extra lemon juice, olive oil, salt, or pepper before serving.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 359 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 359kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 7.3g | 2% |
| Protein | 18.2g | 36% |
| Fat | 28.7g | 44% |
| Saturated Fat | 4.4g | 22% |
| Cholesterol | 264mg | 88% |
| Sodium | 839mg | 35% |
| Potassium | 379mg | 8% |
| Fiber | 1.2g | 5% |
| Sugar | 1.7g | 3% |
| Calcium | 66mg | 7% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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