Name: Cuttlefish, cucumber and ruby grapefruit salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 400 gm cuttlefish, cleaned, tentacles discarded, scored diagonally; 3 Lebanese cucumbers, cut into long thin ribbons; 1 ruby grapefruit, segmented; 1 cup each of (loosely packed) coriander, mint and Thai basil; 4 red shallots, thinly sliced; 2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, thinly sliced widthways; 2 small red chillies or to taste, thinly sliced diagonally; To serve: fried shallots (see note); Nahm jim; 75 gm finely grated palm sugar (¼ cup); 60 ml fish sauce (¼ cup); 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

Cuttlefish, cucumber and ruby grapefruit salad

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for cuttlefish, cucumber and ruby grapefruit salad by Kevin Pham of Perth restaurant Nahm Thai.

Serves 4

Prep

20M

Cook

10M

Total

30M

“My favourite place to dine in Perth is a little Thai place in north Perth called Nahm Thai. Kevin Pham, the chef, is a self-taught young Vietnamese guy who has a great understanding of the nuances of Thai food. His food is simply presented, well cooked, with nice punchy flavours. The perfect place to eat on a chef’s night off. The cuttlefish salad is sensational.”

David Coomer, Star Anise, WA

Ingredients

400 gm cuttlefish, cleaned, tentacles discarded, scored diagonally

3 Lebanese cucumbers, cut into long thin ribbons

1 ruby grapefruit, segmented

1 cup each of (loosely packed) coriander, mint and Thai basil

4 red shallots, thinly sliced

2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, thinly sliced widthways

2 small red chillies or to taste, thinly sliced diagonally

To serve: fried shallots (see note)

Nahm jim

75 gm finely grated palm sugar (¼ cup)

60 ml fish sauce (¼ cup)

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

Method

Main

1.For nahm jim, combine sugar and fish sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring to the boil and cook until lightly caramelised and becomes a light syrup (3-5 minutes). Cool then add lime juice just before serving.

2.Heat frying pan over high heat and cook cuttlefish until just cooked through (1-2 minutes each side), then slice lengthways into 1½cm-thick strips. Combine in a bowl with remaining ingredients except fried shallots, toss to combine. Drizzle with nahm jim and serve immediately scattered with fried shallots.