Cuttlefish, Fennel and Potato Salad

Name: Cuttlefish, Fennel and Potato Salad
Ingredients: Medium cuttlefish; Kiwi fruit; Celery stalks; Fennel bulb; Black olives; Purple potatoes (for example Vitellote); Lemon juice; Extra virgin olive oil; Parsley leaves

Ingredients

2 medium cuttlefish, cleaned
1 kiwi fruit, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks, sliced very finely at an angle
1 fennel bulb, shaved very finely with a mandolin
10 black olives, quartered
500g purple potatoes (for example Vitellote)
Juice of ½ a lemon
3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1tbsp parsley leaves

Cooking instructions

Mix the cuttlefish with the chopped kiwi in a bowl and leave for 2 hours.
Place a grill pan over a very high heat until smoking hot. Rinse the fish then season and place them on the grill pan for 2–3 minutes each side and a bit longer for the tentacles.
Remove the cuttlefish from the pan, place them in a bowl and cover tightly with cling film. Leave at room temperature for 2 hours.
Peel the potatoes, reserving the skins, and steam them for approximately 20 mins until tender at the centre. Allow to cool at room temperature.
Put the potato skins in iced water for 30 minutes then drain thoroughly on kitchen paper. When dry, deep fry them in medium hot oil (160˚C) until crisp.
When ready to assemble, slice the cuttlefish and the potatoes and gently mix them with the celery, fennel and olives.
Mix the lemon juice with the olive oil and drizzle over the salad.
Season with salt and pepper and divide between 4 plates.
Finally, grate a little lemon zest over the top of each plate and garnish with parsley leaves before serving.

Leaving the cuttlefish in a bowl with kiwi will tenderise the flesh because the fruit is rich in a powerful enzyme called actinidain that breaks down protein. This also works for squid and octopus as well as tough cuts of meat.