Spicy Squid Salad with Palm Sugar Dressing
Salad / Spring / Fiona Smith / Serves: 4

juice of 3 limes
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar, crushed
1 mild red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed
3cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 cups finely grated carrot
2 cups finely grated cucumber (discard seeds before grating)
4 spring onions, finely shredded
2 tablespoons dried shrimps
450g cleaned squid or cuttlefish tubes and tentacles
1 tablespoon chilli sauce or paste
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped
1/2 cup mint (Vietnamese, garden or a mix)
1/2 Thai basil leaves (optional)
4 tablespoons roasted peanuts, finely chopped

Notes

The squid will probably take more like 3 minutes to cook, otherwise fry in small batches.

Source

Cuisine
Issue 118
September 2006
pp.85

In a large serving bowl whish togther the lime juice, fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, chilli, garlic and ginger.
Add the carrot, cucumber and spring onions and toss.
Cover and refrigerate to marinate for 1 hour.
Place the dried shrimp in a bowl of hot water and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
Drain and finely chop or crush with a mortar and pestle, set aside.
Cut the squid into bite-sized pieces.
Toss with the chilli sauce or paste and oil.
Set aside for 10 minutes.

Heat a barbeque or grill pan to very hot.
Cook the squid, turning once, for about 30 seconds until just opaque.
Toss the hot squid with the coriander and set aside.

Before serving add the squid, dried shrimps, mint and Thai basil (if using) to the salad and toss well.
Arrange the salad on 4 plates and sprinkle with the peanuts.