Potato & Calamari Salad with Kiwi & Lime

It took me some time to get used to this salad.   I usually can't dodge it because it's always a part of the antipasto freddo (cold appetizer) platter in the restaurants.  I love everything but this one.  It is very good, don't get me wrong.  What invokes this refusal is the sight of the chopped tentacles.    I really don't find that inviting.  Then it all changed when I was once served this dish without the tentacles.  I was relieved and for the first time, I enjoyed it because I was spared the job of segregating.  And what do you know, it was actually more than good. 

I recreated it at home.  This time, I had the option of doing choice parts.  Tentacles went to my husband & the kids while I got a clean tentacle-free plate of calamari & potato salad.  

I tried two ways in preparing this dish.  Since I was on unfamiliar ground, I followed what everyone does in cooking the calamari in this salad.  Boiled.  I didn't like the idea of boiled calamari but I went for it because the conformist in me decided that's that.  But then I added a twist of kiwi & lime instead of the classic lemon.  I liked the taste inspite of the crunch of the kiwi seeds that bothered me a bit.  The vitelotte potatoes did not really complement the dish like how I hoped it would.  Still, the yellow or red potatoes are the best for this salad.

I used red potatoes on my second try.  This time, I grilled the calamari on a griddle pan.  I hit the jackpot!  I loved it.  Grilling the calamari took out its delicious flavour.   It won me over.

Potato & Calamari Salad with Kiwi & Lime

Ingredients:
Serves 4

• 1 kilo potatoes, boiled, peeled & diced
• 600 g. calamari, cleaned
• 1 - 2 stalks of celery, chopped finely (optional)
• 1 kiwi, liquified in a food processor or electric chopper (optional)
• 1 spring onion (optional)
• 1/2 - 1 lime, juice
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• parsley, chopped finely
• extra virgin olive oil

1. Boil potatoes.  Peel & dice.  Let cool.
2. Put the calamari in a pot of salted water and boil for 20 minutes until tender.  Take them out of the water & chop.  Let cool.  Another option would be to grill them on an oven-top griddle.  They come out tastier this way.   Personally, I prefer the grilled ones.  Chop.
3. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.   When squeezing the lime, start with 1/2 of the fruit first then add more if you want the taste to be stronger.  
4. Drizzle with a fresh round of extra virgin olive oil.  Serve cold.

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