Name: Salad of calamari and wakame with preserved lemon vinaigrette
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 3 Lebanese cucumbers, thinly sliced widthways; 4 calamari (180gm, see note); 80 ml (1/3 cup) olive oil; 50 gm dried wakame, soaked in warm water for 5 minutes, drained (see note); 8 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced; 2 cups (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley (about 1 bunch), coarsely torn; Preserved lemon vinaigrette; 1 preserved lemon, flesh removed, rind rinsed and finely chopped; 100 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 50 ml rice vinegar; 50 ml sugar syrup (see note); 2 tbsp light soy sauce

Salad of calamari and wakame with preserved lemon vinaigrette

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for salad of calamari and wakame with preserved lemon vinaigrette by Daniel Hong from Sydney's Lotus restaurant.

Serves 4

Prep

30M

Cook

Total

35M

Ingredients

3 Lebanese cucumbers, thinly sliced widthways

4 calamari (180gm, see note)

80 ml (1/3 cup) olive oil

50 gm dried wakame, soaked in warm water for 5 minutes, drained (see note)

8 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 cups (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley (about 1 bunch), coarsely torn

Preserved lemon vinaigrette

1 preserved lemon, flesh removed, rind rinsed and finely chopped

100 ml extra-virgin olive oil

50 ml rice vinegar

50 ml sugar syrup (see note)

2 tbsp light soy sauce

Method

Main

1.For preserved lemon vinaigrette, whisk together all ingredients and 50ml water until well combined. Set aside.

2. Place cucumber in a colander placed over another bowl, lightly sprinkle with sea salt and stand until liquid is drawn out (10 minutes). Rinse under cold water, then squeeze and pat dry using absorbent paper.

3.Meanwhile, remove beak and eyes from calamari with a sharp knife and discard, reserving tentacles. Clean inside of bodies by running under cold water, slice into 7mm-thick rings and season tentacles and rings to taste.

4.Heat a large frying pan over high heat until very hot, add half the oil and calamari and sauté until just cooked (1-2 minutes). Remove calamari from pan, add remaining oil and calamari and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

5.Meanwhile, combine cucumber, wakame, mushrooms and parsley in a large bowl with half the vinaigrette. Transfer to a large plate, arrange calamari over the top, drizzle with remaining vinaigrette, season to taste with sea salt and serve immediately.

Daniel Hong prefers to use Hawkesbury calamari. Dried wakame is available from Japanese grocers. Unless specified, sugar syrup is made up of equal parts caster sugar to water. Bring to the boil to dissolve sugar, remove from heat and cool before use.
Drink Suggestion: A young and zesty riesling from the Clare valley, such as Petaluma Riesling. Drink suggestion by Franck Moreau
Notes