Hot and Spicy Thai Squid Salad (Yam Pra-Muek)
Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing
3 bird's-eye chillies finely chopped, seeds optional
1 garlic clove finely chopped
2 heaped tbsp palm sugar
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1/2 lime juice only
For the salad
400g/14o z baby squid tentacles reserved
1 garlic clove finely chopped
20 garlic chives with flowers (or a bunch of chives) cut into 2.5cm/1in lengths
5 spring onions trimmed, cut in half and quartered lengthways
5 Thai shallots (or 1 banana shallot) finely sliced
20 plum cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 cucumber cut in half, seeds removed, thickly sliced
large handful mint leaves
handful Thai basil leaves (alternatively use normal basil)
thumb-sized piece of ginger peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Description
This delicious spicy seafood salad combines the four elements of Thai cooking: salt, sweet, bitter and sour.
Directions
For the dressing, grind the chillies and garlic together with the other dressing ingredients in a pestle and mortar. Set aside.
For the salad, clean and prepare the squid, cutting it in half and keeping the tentacles. Remove the skin and score. Set aside.
Combine the garlic, garlic chives (or chives), spring onions, Thai shallots (or banana shallots), cherry tomatoes and cucumber in a large bowl with the fresh mint leaves and Thai basil leaves (or normal basil).
Heat a wok or large frying pan with the vegetable and sesame oil. Once hot, fry the ginger and cook until just turning golden-brown.
Add the squid and tentacles and cook for about another 1½ minutes, or until the squid has curled up and is just cooked.
Add the dressing from the pestle and mortar to the hot squid and toss through, then add the hot squid to the salad and mix thoroughly, serve straightaway.