Grilled Calamari Salad with Red Chile Vinaigrette
Squid has a mild flavor that is ideal for absorbing the stronger notes of a marinade. And, with a kick of heat, red finger chiles are a perfect addition to this bistro-style salad.
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Ingredients
- 1 to 2 fresh red finger chile peppers (or your favorite hot chile pepper), stemmed and seeded, finely diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 medium shallots, diced
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper, divided
- 1 1/2 lb whole squid tubes (6 pieces), cleaned
- 4 cups chopped radicchio, soaked in cold water for 1 hour
- 6 cups chopped fresh spinach
- 6 cups chopped frisée
- 18 asparagus spears, trimmed
- 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
Preparation
- In a medium bowl, combine finger peppers, bell pepper, shallots, lemon juice, all but 2 tsp oil, oregano, Dijon, salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
- Ensure that hard plastic-like piece is removed from center of each squid tube. Place squid on a cutting board and create slits three-quarters of the way through each tube, every 1/2 inch (leaving 1 side of tube intact; do not cut into separate rings). This will keep squid from curling when grilling.
- Place squid in a large sealable plastic bag and pour in pepper-shallot marinade. Seal bag, removing all air, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Using a salad spinner, drain and dry radicchio well. In a large bowl, mix radicchio, spinach and frisée. Set aside.
- Preheat grill to medium-high.
- In a large bowl, toss asparagus with remaining 2 tsp oil and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Grill asparagus for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until lightly charred and tender. Transfer back to large bowl.
- Remove squid from marinade, reserving marinade, and grill for 1 to 2 minutes, turning once, until lightly charred. (NOTE: Do not overcook or squid will become rubbery and tough.) Remove from grill and place into bowl with asparagus. Heat a sauté pan on medium-high (you may also place it on the grill or on side-burner of grill, if you have one). Carefully pour reserved marinade into pan and bring to a boil. Add vinegar, remove from heat and pour over calamari-asparagus mixture.
- Divide radicchio mixture among 4 serving bowls. Top each with 1 tube calamari and 3 spears asparagus. Drizzle 2 tbsp remaining vinaigrette over top of each and serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 4 oz calamari, 2 1/2 cups salad, 2 tbsp vinaigrette
- Calories 246
- Carbohydrate Content 16 g
- Cholesterol Content 264 mg
- Fat Content 11 g
- Fiber Content 4 g
- Protein Content 21 g
- Saturated Fat Content 2 g
- Sodium Content 250 mg
- Sugar Content 4 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 2 g