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Curried Squid Salad with Cucumber Relish

Feb 26, 2012 by Bre

Put plainly, this dish rocks. It has it all: crisp, spicy, fishy (ok, that’s not really a flavor profile), salty, sweet, creamy, chewy, and on and on. It’s so great that it’s beyond categorization, although it’s probably closest to Thai or Malaysian, if I were really pressed to pigeonhole it (please don’t make me!)
Admittedly, I mostly made this recipe because I was convinced that in some way, the flavors wouldn’t work together. But, they were brilliant. Everything was exceptionally colorful on the plate, and though I expected this rollup to be a little messy to eat, it ended up being a really elegant starter. Full of surprises, this one.

Cucumber Relish:

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup finely diced unpeeled Persian cucumber
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1 red jalapeño chile, seeded and finely diced
1 1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, finely slices

Squid Salad:

10 fresh cilantro stems, chopped
2 garlic cloves, halved
1 1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Curry Powder
8 ounces cleaned squid bodies, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rings
1 red jalapeño chile, seeded and finely sliced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
½ cup coconut cream (see below)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons low-salt vegetable broth
16 large Boston or Romaine lettuce leaves

Coconut Cream:

2oz unsweetened flaked coconut, 1/4 cup coconut milk and 1/4 cup heavy cream.

For coconut cream:

In a heavy saucepan, mix the grated coconut with the coconut milk and cream. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring often. Cover with a lid and let stand 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the flaked coconut.

For cucumber relish:

Stir vinegar and sugar in small bowl until the sugar dissolves; set aside.
Combine the sliced cucumber, celery, chile, and ginger in a small bowl. Pour the sugar-vinegar mix over and stir to combine.
Let the relish sit for an hour before serving to let the flavors mingle and develop.

For squid salad:

Combine the cilantro stems, garlic, and ginger in mini food processor and blend until a paste forms.
Heat the vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cilantro paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
Stir in the curry powder.