Mariana Velásquez's Ensalada De Calamar
Makes 4 Servings
Yuca is one of those starches that has always had my heart. It’s multifaceted and can be prepared in so many ways: boiled and served with a spoonful of suero (crème fraîche); deep-fried in French-fry fashion with a squeeze of lime; grated into Enyucado; or wrapped in a corn husk, served with a slab of costeño cheese—salty farmer cheese—as a bollo (bun).
Grilled Calamari Salad With Beans, Green Mango & Lemony Dressing
This salad can be served as a full meal in warmer months. Prepping the components in advance makes it effortless to toss together, and the dressing tastes even better after it sits for a bit. The key to having the right texture when preparing calamari is to cook them quickly over high heat, which results in a meaty, tender bite with a lovely briny taste.
Image Credits
Photo by Gentl & Hyers
ingredients
- ½ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons flaky sea salt, plus more as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds calamari tails and tentacles, cleaned
- 1 pound frozen yuca, thawed, vein removed, cut into 2-inch-long sticks
- ½ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- Lemon wedges, to serve
method
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Place the vinegar and garlic in a bowl large enough to hold the calamari, and whisk as you slowly pour in the ¾ cup oil to emulsify. Season with the salt and pepper to taste. Pour 1 cup of the marinade into a separate large bowl and set aside. Add the calamari to the bowl with the remaining marinade and toss to coat in the emulsion. Let marinate for 25 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Prepare the grill for high heat or preheat a cast-iron grill pan over high heat.
- Meanwhile, place the yuca sticks on a baking sheet, drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, toss to coat, and season thoroughly with salt. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Remove the calamari from the marinade and discard the liquid. Place the calamari on the preheated grill and cook quickly in a single layer, turning once, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the reserved marinade, add the yuca sticks, and stir to combine. To serve, transfer to a platter and garnish with the cilantro, chives, a generous grind of black pepper, and the lemon wedges.
Divider
Recipe excerpted from Colombiana: A Rediscovery of Recipes and Rituals from the Soul of Colombia by Mariana Velásquez, published by Harper WaveLinks
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