Squid & Spring Vegetables a la Plancha

1 cleaned squid

1 medium sized cucumber, cut in half lengthwise

6 pcs scallions

6 pcs red radishes, cut in half

1 cup fiddlehead ferns

½ cup picked parsley, coarsely chopped

½ cup picked basil, coarsely chopped

¼ cup picked mint, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (for squid)

¼ cup canola oil (for the plancha)

2T lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

2 slices bread, lightly oiled with evoo

Turn on your plancha, or heat a very large sauté pan over med/high heat.
The plancha is ready when a little oil placed on the surface just barely smokes.
Before you cook on the placha, moisten a towel with a little canola oil and wipe the surface of the plancha.

Make sure to re-wipe the surface clean of any more oil. This oil helps to season the plancha. Let the plancha re-heat for 1 minute.

Add the ¼ cup of canola oil to the surface of the plancha and spread it out evenly with a heat resistant spatula. When the oil just begins to get wisps of smoke, add the bread, cucumbers, radishes, scallions, fiddlehead ferns, and finally the squid to the plancha. Do not move or touch for 2 minutes.

After 2 minutes, start to flip all of you items on the plancha and season lightly with some salt over the carmelized side. Let the items except for the squid tentacles cook for another 90 seconds. Let the tentacles cook 1 minute longer. Remove all of the items to a plate and let sit for 1 minutes while you prepare your dressing.

In a large bowl, add the lemon, olive oil and herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Begin to cut your cooked plancha ingredients. Cut the squid bodies into ¼” thick rings and cut the heads into 4pcs each. Cut all the other vegetables into bite sized pieces and add the squid and vegetables to the dressing bowl. Cut the bread in half and reserve.

Toss all of the ingredients in the herbed dressing and season as necessary. Place the bread halves on 4 plates and divide up the squid salad evenly over the bread.

Drizzle with some fresh olive oil and a crack of pepper.

Enjoy!