Seafood salads, particularly those featuring squid, calamari, and octopus, are culinary delights that tantalize taste buds with their unique flavors and textures. These seafood gems, when combined with a medley of fresh vegetables, herbs, and zesty dressings, create a symphony of flavors that can transport you to the shores of the Mediterranean or the vibrant streets of Asia. Whether you prefer the delicate sweetness of squid, the tender chewiness of calamari, or the meaty robustness of octopus, there's a recipe out there to satisfy your cravings. Get ready to embark on a culinary journey as we uncover the secrets to crafting the perfect squid calamari salad and octopus polipo salad, leaving you with dishes that are both visually stunning and bursting with flavor.
Let's cook with our recipes!
SQUID (CALAMARI) SALAD AND OCTOPUS (POLIPO) SALAD
Living by Boston's waterfront, we always had access to the freshest seafood. We were within walking distance of the docks where fishing boats loaded their catch into a large processing warehouse. Fish were hand cleaned, fileted and sorted. Most were destined for distribution to restaurants and markets. Limited days and times were opened to the public. Locally at the corner of Salem and Cross Streets was Giuffre's Fish Market. It was a well-known Boston treasure featuring a huge selection of the freshest seafood anywhere. Squid was almost a throw away species, often used for bait. Being Italian, we knew how special they were. Competition kept prices low but once the general population was exposed to fried calamari and other squid specialties, prices skyrocketed. The availability of squid already cleaned also increased demand and costs. Baby octopus was available in the North End but seldom seen in traditional grocery store chains outside. Today's pricing also suggests demand is still limited. My local gourmet grocery store sold the pound of baby octopus in the picture below for almost half the price of the squid they displayed. Squid and octopus's salads were almost always in our refrigerator, available for lunch, snacks, or even as a main course with hunks of artesian bread. Please make this dish a day ahead. Sitting overnight, garlic mellows and flavors merge. Don't get me wrong, it's terrific when first made but even better with time. You can also add a little more lemon and can adjust salt. Serve with a spoon. Every mouthful is best with an ample puddle of dressing. Squid submerged in boiling water cooks quickly. Smaller 3" to 5" squid tubes cut into rings takes about a minute, larger and thicker, perhaps a minute and a half. If steaming, about 3 minutes for smaller tubes. Squid is cooked when rings just begin to firm. Anything more, they will become tough and rubbery. Although octopus is thicker, they seem to cook even quicker before becoming tougher. Some use a dipping technique, plunging raw octopus in and out of a pan of boiling water to ensure they don't overcook.
Provided by Peter Steriti
Categories Octopus
Time 35m
Yield 1 lb., 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- For Squid, Rinse the squid in a strainer with cold water. Cut the tubes into 3/8 inch rings. Pending their size, cut the tentacles in halves or thirds.
- Cook squid in a pot of boiling water untl they begin to firm, about a minute for small, minute and a half for larger. Empty cooked squid into a strainer and cool with cold tap water. When drained, pat dry with paper towel and place squid in a bowl.
- For Baby Octopus, rinse the Octopus in cold water. Cut the octopus in uniform bite size pieces. Place them in a strainer. Submerge in boiling water for about 45 seconds. Check for doneness, just firm. If needed, dip them very briefly in the boiling water again being careful not to overcook. Cool octopus in cold tap water.
- Combine all remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Pour dressing into the squid or octopus and mix well. Cover and store in the refrigerator overnight. Check for seasoning then serve in bowls with a spoon and crusty bread.
ENSALADA DE PULPO: OCTOPUS SALAD
Steps:
- In a large stockpot, combine octopus with bay leaves, halved lemons, peppercorns, white wine, hot pepper sauce. Cook until the octopus is very tender, about 2 hours. Strain, cool, and peel the octopus. Clean squid and open tubes flat. In a bowl, season squid and octopus. Grill quickly for 2 minutes on each side. Cool and slice thinly. In a large bowl, combine squid, octopus, tomatoes, onions, scallions, garbanzo beans, and olives. In a separate bowl, prepare a vinaigrette with 1/4 cup oil, vinegar, basil, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Pour on top of the seafood salad and toss well to combine. Set aside. In a saute pan, heat up the remaining 1/4 cup oil with annatto seeds. Remove seeds and add the sliced garlic. Cook until cloves are golden brown. Add the hearts of palm. Continue to cook until the hearts of palm are brown. Add the lemon juice, and season. Serve the salad over the roasted hearts of palm.;
GRAMMY'S CALAMARI SALAD
My Grandma has been making this calamari salad for all the years I can remember at our traditional Christmas Eve dinner.
Provided by CLAIRES
Categories Salad Seafood Salad Recipes
Time 25m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- In a medium bowl, mix lemon juice, garlic, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Stir in squid, and cook about 3 minutes, or until tender; drain.
- Toss squid, olives, and celery with the lemon juice mixture. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator until serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 119.3 calories, Carbohydrate 6.8 g, Cholesterol 264.5 mg, Fat 2.2 g, Fiber 1.3 g, Protein 18.2 g, SaturatedFat 0.5 g, Sodium 108.5 mg, Sugar 0.2 g
SQUID SALAD OR OCTOPUS SALAD - JAPANESE STYLE
You could either use squid or octopus for this salad, I have trouble finding octopus most times so I used squid. I normally buy my squid/octopus already cleaned and gutted. If your squid/octopus needs to be clean then remove the guts (discard) and legs from the body and rinse. Cut off the tips on the legs and discard, then chop the remaining leg pieces and body into bite-size chunks. Original recipe comes from 'Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking' by Harumi Kurihara but I have twinkled with it
Provided by Chef floWer
Categories Squid
Time 30m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Wash, pat dry and cut salad leaves into bite-size pieces, then arrange the salad leaves into serving dish. Set aside.
- For the squid/octopus cut the body and legs into 1.5 cm thick then season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the garlic and fry until you can smell its aroma.
- Add the squid/octopus into the pan with the garlic and cook until done. Squid/octopus' colour will change and it will no longer be transparent, Please NOTE do not overcook as it will becomes tough.
- Remove from heat and place on top of the prepared salad leaves in serving dish.
- Return frying pan to the heat, add the soy sauce, ginger, sugar and mix well with any remaining cooking juices from the squid/octopus, making sure that all the sugar dissolves.
- Pour dressing on top of squid/octopus then sprinkle some chilli powder or shichimi togarashi.
- If there is a lot of dressing you could serve it separately and dinners could help themselves if they wish for more dressing.
- Enjoy.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 236.1, Fat 9.4, SaturatedFat 1.6, Cholesterol 408.5, Sodium 503.2, Carbohydrate 8.2, Fiber 0.7, Sugar 0.9, Protein 28.2
CALAMARI-OLIVE SALAD
This beautiful seafood salad makes a terrific home for leftover Niçoise olives from the braised [Veal Cacciatore](/recipes/food/views/351137) . Quickly cooking the calamari renders it snowy white and very tender-such a nice backdrop to the salty olives and crunchy celery. Scallion, lemon zest, and celery add freshness.
Provided by Kay Chun
Time 25m
Yield Makes 6 (main course) or 8 (first course) servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Rinse squid under cold running water, then pat dry between paper towels. Halve tentacles lengthwise and cut bodies (including flaps, if attached) crosswise into 1/8-inch-wide rings. Cook in a 4-quart pot of boiling salted water (1 tablespoon salt for 3 quarts water), uncovered, until just opaque, 30 to 40 seconds. Drain and immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. When squid is cool, drain and pat dry.
- Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add squid and toss until combined well. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Tips:
- To ensure the squid and octopus are tender, make sure to cook them for the recommended time. Overcooking can make them tough and chewy.
- For the best flavor, use fresh seafood. If using frozen seafood, thaw it completely before cooking.
- To add a pop of color and flavor to your salad, use a variety of vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and peppers.
- If you don't have time to make a dressing from scratch, you can use a store-bought vinaigrette or lemon-herb dressing.
- Serve the salad immediately after it is prepared, or the seafood will become tough.
Conclusion:
Squid calamari salad and octopus polipo salad are two delicious and refreshing seafood salads that are perfect for a light lunch or dinner. They are also a great way to use up leftover seafood. With a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time, you can easily make these salads at home. So next time you're looking for a healthy and flavorful seafood dish, give one of these salads a try.
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