Spiced calamari with fennel and smashed avocado

Name: Spiced calamari with fennel and smashed avocado
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 small garlic clove; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 1 tsp cumin seeds; Salt flakes; 3-4 ripe avocados, peeled and roughly chopped; Freshly ground black pepper; 3 limes — 2 juiced, 1 cut in wedges to serve; ¼ bunch coriander, roughly chopped, plus extra leaves to garnish; 1 bulb fennel; 1 lemon; Extra virgin olive oil; 1 green chilli, finely sliced; Oil for frying (I use olive oil); 600g small or medium-sized calamari, cleaned, scored and cut into strips

Karen Martini

June 13, 2013

Spiced calamari with fennel and smashed avocado.Marina Oliphant

Time:30 mins - 1 hourServes:6

Though fennel is essentially a winter vegetable, this dish has quite a summery feel. I have no problem with a splash of sunshine in the cooler months.

Ingredients

1 small garlic clove
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
Salt flakes
3-4 ripe avocados, peeled and roughly chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
3 limes — 2 juiced, 1 cut in wedges to serve
¼ bunch coriander, roughly chopped, plus extra leaves to garnish
1 bulb fennel
1 lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
1 green chilli, finely sliced
Oil for frying (I use olive oil)
600g small or medium-sized calamari, cleaned, scored and cut into strips

Spiced flour

100g plain flour
20g ground cumin
25g smoked paprika
25g ground coriander
35g ras el hanout
30g onion powder
20g garlic powder
2 tbsp salt flakes

Method

1. Combine all the spiced flour ingredients until free of any lumps.
2. For the avocado, in a large mortar and pestle, grind the garlic and the spices with three good pinches of salt. Add the avocado and mash, then add plenty of pepper, the lime juice and the coriander. Stir and set aside.
3. Shave the fennel in fine slices lengthways (a mandolin is ideal for this) and dress with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Toss through with the chilli.
4. Heat about six centimetres of oil to 175 degrees in a large saucepan.
5. Spread the avocado on a serving plate. Top with the fennel and extra coriander leaves.
6. Dust the calamari in the spiced flour and fry in batches until golden. Serve on the fennel and avocado with lime wedges on the side.