I don’t cook calamari all that often because, to be honest, it’s not that easy to make it nice and tender without boombah-crumbing-and-frying it.

But I love the toasty taste of the sesame seeds in this salad. I’m not very keen on the look of calamari rings, so I suggest cutting the tube into small squares, which miraculously curl up and become cool mini tubes.

Ingredients

1 calamari tube, cleaned
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
200g rocket leaves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 small red chillies, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, lightly toasted
lemon wedges

Method

To prepare the calamari, cut down one side of the tube and open it out flat to form a rectangle. Use a sharp knife to lightly score the inside surface of the calamari with a cross-hatch pattern. Cut into small rectangles and season with salt and pepper.
Arrange the rocket on a serving platter.
Heat the two oils in a large frying pan and fry the chilli and garlic for about 30 seconds. Add the calamari and stir-fry over a high heat until it starts to curl up and colour slightly.
Tip the calamari onto the rocket leaves (make sure you include all the bits of chilli and garlic), squeeze on the lemon juice, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

From Fabulous Food, Minus the Boombah by Jane Kennedy