Pickled squid, watermelon, watercress and olive tapenade salad

April 11, 2017 (Last Updated: April 12, 2017)
Pickled squid, watermelon, watercress and olive tapenade salad

TO PAIR WITH Avondale Anima 2014

Pickled squid, watermelon, watercress and olive tapenade salad

Serves: 6 - 8
Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

  • 500g squid
  • DASHI

  • 250ml (1 cup) water
  • 150ml soya sauce
  • 150ml rice wine vinegar
  • 15g palm sugar, grated (available at woolworths.co.za)
  • 20g ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • 5 slices smoked streaky bacon
  • 1 stick kombu (available at Asian supermarkets)
  • 15g bonito flakes (available at Asian supermarkets)
  • OLIVE TAPENADE

  • 100g Kalamata olives, pitted
  • 2 anchovies
  • ¼ garlic clove, peeled
  • 50ml olive oil
  • PONZU DRESSING

  • 50ml ponzu
  • 150ml olive oil
  • TO ASSEMBLE

  • 200g watercress, washed and picked
  • ¼ watermelon, pips removed and cut into medium cubes
  • cucumber, peeled and ribboned using a vegetable peeler

Instructions

1

For the squid, wash and clean the squid tubes, reserving the tentacles for deep-frying. Score the squid in a criss-cross pattern using a very sharp knife. Blanch the squid in salted boiling water, 5 seconds and set aside until needed.

2

For the dashi, combine all of the ingredients, except the kombu and bonito flakes, in a saucepan. Bring to a boil , then remove from heat. Add the kombu and bonito, and cover with cling film. Leave to cool completely and place in the fridge. Once chilled, strain through a sieve and discard the bits. Place the squid in the chilled dashi and leave to marinate, 20 minutes.

3

For the tapenade, blitz all of the ingredients together, except the garlic, together to form a rough tapenade. Finely crush the garlic and stir it through the tapenade.

4

Combine the ponzu and olive oil and set the dressing aside until needed.

5

To assemble, divide the salad ingredients equally among serving plates and drizzle over the ponzu dressing.

Recipe and styling by Eric Bulpitt

Photograph by Bruce Tuck 

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