Serves
Serves 2 to 4 people
Ingredients
2-inch (5 cm) piece fresh ginger,
peeled and finely grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest and juice of 1 lime
About ½ cup (20 g) minced fresh
cilantro leaves, plus another dozen sprigs to garnish
Pinch of red chile flakes
1 small serrano chile, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons fish sauce (I like Red Boat), plus more for serving
½ teaspoon sugar
1 pound (455 g) squid, defrosted and cleaned (see Note)
2 medium fennel bulbs, each cut lengthwise into ½-inch (12 mm) slices
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons canola oil
Salt
Lime wedges, to serve
Olive oil
Steamed brown rice, to serve
Chili crisp condiment, to serve (optional)
Procedure
I’m always looking for seafood that is more sustainable than the average. Squid are so low on the ocean food chain that you can eat them with less concern than many finfish. They grow fast, reproduce abundantly, and die within a year. I’m a big fryer of calamari, but I have recently been sautéing it more as a main course: It’s so quick and easy that ithas become a midweek favorite with a side of steamed rice. In this version, the roasted fennel has a loopy, tentacle-like shape to echo the squid, and a gingery lime fish sauce pays homage to the incredible Vietnamese restaurants here in Seattle. If you like a little heat, do serve this with chili crisp: I love KariKari, made right here in the Pacific Northwest.
In a small bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, lime zest and juice, cilantro, chile flakes, chile, fish sauce, and sugar. Set aside.
Rinse the squid, then slice it into rounds, 3 to 4 per tube. Set on a paper towel to dry off. Drying is important so you can get a nice sear on the squid.
Set up a simple steamer with an inch of water in the bottom of the pot. Bring the water to a boil and place the fennel in a basket in a thin even layer. Cover the lid once you see steam coming up from below, turn the heat to medium-high and cook for about 5
minutes, until the fennel is barely soft when poked with a pointy knife. Drain and pat dry.
Heat 2 teaspoons of the canola oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Gently lay the steamed fennel into the pan in a single layer; you will need to work in batches. Cook each side for about 2 minutes, until golden brown. Season lightly with
salt and set aside.
In an even larger skillet (about 12 inches/30 cm) if you have one, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil over high heat until shimmering. Working in 3 batches, add a third of the squid and cook for about 5 minutes, turning once only. Season with a touch
of salt. You will notice a distinct and delicious minerally smell— essentially a briny char with crisp caramelized edges.
Toss the hot squid with a spoonful of ginger sauce, then remove the squid and juices to a serving dish. Wipe out the pan and repeat the cooking process for the remaining two batches of squid, tossing the newly cooked squid with another spoonful of sauce each time. After the last batch, return all the squid to the pan and toss well.
When all the squid is mixed, mix in the roasted fennel and taste the seasoning, adjusting with juice from a lime wedge or salt to taste. Place the squid and its juices in a serving dish, drape with cilantro sprigs, and place lime wedges around the plate. Drizzle
with a little olive oil and serve with rice, additional fish sauce, and chili crisp, if using, on the side.
Note: Go ahead and buy frozen squid! Fresh squid is lovely but messy and time- consuming to process. I buy frozen squid and let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight. I rinse it quickly before cooking to whisk away any little hard bits of cartilage that may
have stuck to the ice. I cut the hoods into ½-inch (12 mm) tubes and generally keep the tentacles whole. Once rinsed, I lay them out on paper towels to dry before cooking: that helps them crisp up rather than steam in the pan.
