It started in Scotland with a generous birthday gift of a seasonal Coast and Glen Fishbox www.coastandglen.com with all fish coming from sustainable sources in the Highlands and offering "ocean to plate in less than 24 hours". The pollack was devoured on arrival, the monkfish and mackerel are to be sampled soon, tonight was the squids turn.
Squid needs to be either cooked very rapidly or stewed long and slowly. These generously sized pieces were suitable for either method. Fried calamari is a favourite but deep fat fryers are banned so a quick search of alternative recipes found the perfect option from Rachel Allen www.bbc.co.uk/food/chefs/rachel_allen
Pan-Fried Squid with Chilli and Parsley Oil
for the squid cut into pieces, dry thoroughly and toss in seasoned flour
for the chilli and parsley oil chop the parsley and put in into a bowl with a small amount of crushed garlic, a little chopped chilli, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper
Place a frying pan on a high heat. When it is hot add a dash of olive oil and add the squid, in a single layer. Cook until golden on one side, about 1-2 minutes then turn and cook again until golden on the other side.
Arrange some rocket leaves on a warm plate and place the hot squid on top. Drizzle with the chilli and parsley oil, and serve immediately.
The result was a delicious combination with the peppery rocket enhancing the flavours of the top quality squid and this very versatile dressing.
