My husband and I often do take outs from a Thaï restaurant called Phayathai here in Montreal. It’s simple but delicious, and I like believe it’s quite authentic. I am especially fond of their squid salad, both fragrant with herbs and just spicy enough to make your lips and mouth tingle…YUMMY!
I crave this salad pretty much all the time so I had to find a way to try to reproduce at home its closest version possible. I served it last weekend to my husband and he said it was even better (I guess he needed what he likes to call “Julie Points”?…)! Anyway, I felt it was pretty closed to the original version and I am glad to share the recipe with you!
As for the squid, I had tried various ways of cooking it in the past and, very often, it was quite disappointingly rubbery. By doing a bit of research, I found out a way to cook and score the squid to get these cute little criss-cross spirals and ensure that they are not at all rubbery.
The bonus is that this is SUCH an healthy salad and it’s very low in calories, yet quite filling, depending on your serving size. I served it as an small appetizer, but you could definitely make that your main meal. The salad should be tossed together at the last minute so that the mint leaves do not become that unappealing brownish colour and the lettuce doesn’t start welting.
- -(1lb) 500g squid, fresh or frozen (about 3-4 squid tubes)
- -1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- - 1 big shallot, finely sliced and soaked in cold water for 10 minutes, then drained
- - 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
- - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- - 1/2 cup mixed salad leaves (or chopped iceberg lettuce or kale...whatever you prefer that is a crunchy green)
- - 1/4 cup spiralized carrots (or julienned if you don't have a Spiralizer like this one (Big Boss Slice-A-Roo Ultimate Tri-Blade Vegetable and Fruit Peeler Spiralizer
)
)- - 2 red thaï chili, unseeded and finely chopped
- - 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- - 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- - 2 tbsp lime juice
- - 1 tbsp sugar, to taste
- - 2 tbsp fish sauce, to taste
- - 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)
- Garnish: toasted white sesame and sliced green onions (optional)
- Slice open the squid and make a criss-cross pattern on the inside. Slice your half-squid in 4.
- Place the ginger and squid into a pot. Don't add any water. Cover the pot with a lid and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. The squid will release water and this will mause the squid to "steam".
- Drain the squid and let cool.
- In a small bowl or a small glass container with a lid, put all the ingredients together and mix well. Add the cooled and drained squid to the dressing and set aside while you are preparing the salad.
- In a large bowl, toss all the ingredients for the salad together. When ready to serve, add the squid and as much dressing as you would like (I put it all and it was perfectly to my own taste)
- Sprinkle roasted sesame seeds on top and serve.
- *4 appetizers or 2 main dishes
