There’s nothing quite as satisfying in the kitchen as snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. I was playing around with some squid ceviche preparations, and while it did “cook” in the acidic marinade, I really didn’t enjoy the texture. I actually hated it.
I’m not sure if it needed more time, or more acid, but it wasn’t good. Not wanting to toss it, I decided to fry it up, and maybe hide it in some pasta, or something. I went with “or something,” and this cold, coconut-spiked salad was the result. I haven’t been this happy about a failed recipe in a long time.
Not only did it make a fantastic, sort of Thai-like salad, I can see this being quite versatile as well. It was very tasty hot, and would be great over rice with some of the cooked-down marinade. It would also be amazing over a big bowl of crunchy greens. Just don’t skip the toasted coconut, as it really does make the dish. I hope you give this delicious accident a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 Portions Spicy Coconut & Calamari Salad:
1 pound calamari, cleaned, cut into thin rings
1 small green Serrano pepper, minced
1 red Fresno pepper, sliced thin
2 tablespoons green onion
1 teaspoon palm sugar (aka coconut)
1 generous tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons Coconut milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil to cook calamari
– After calamari is marinated and cooked:
1 tbsp chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes (unsweeted)