Fennel, squid and almond, a dish of elegance and flavour
While raw fennel is often disliked for its sharp liquorice flavour, roasting sees it caramelise to a soft sweetness.
Almonds need little more than to be roasted and sprinkled in sea salt then enjoyed with a dry martini or a sherry. But often when I think of almonds, my mind wanders to ajo blanco – a creamy, pale Andalusian soup, created from almonds, garlic, stale bread and olive oil. Served chilled, the result is both rich and refreshing. Here I have used a thicker version to accompany a dish of grilled squid, adding the ink which turns the sauce jet-black. While raw fennel is often disliked for its sharp liquorice flavour, roasting sees it caramelise to a soft sweetness, which pairs beautifully with the squid and the sauce.
Try too my pear frangipane cake.
Squid with roasted fennel and ajo nero
- 8 loligo squid
- 1 slice of bread, crusts removed
- ½ cucumber, peeled and juiced
- 1 clove garlic, germ removed, finely chopped
- 120g toasted marcona almonds
- 1 tablespoon black garlic
- 15g squid ink
- 30ml sherry vinegar
- 100ml olive oil
- 1 large fennel bulb, fronds reserved, halved lengthways, cut into 8 wedges
- Sea salt
Method
- Clean the squid, removing the ink sac, cartilage and beak, being careful not to tear the skin. Lightly rinse the body and tentacles, pat dry, and reserve.
- For the ajo negro, soak the slice of bread in the cucumber juice for 8 to 10 minutes until soft. Place in a blender with the garlic, 100g of the almonds, black garlic, squid ink and sherry vinegar and blend to a smooth paste. While still blending, drizzle in 60ml of the olive oil until emulsified to a rich sauce. Season to taste and reserve.
- Heat a wide heavy-based pan, add 20ml of olive oil, followed by the fennel segments. Spread them out in one layer so that they caramelise evenly. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes and when golden brown, turn to colour the other cut face. Season with salt and continue to cook for a further 6 to 8 minutes. Turn on to their backs and continue to cook, switching off the heat after 4 minutes, and allowing them to rest in the residual heat of the pan.
- Place your grill or barbecue to a high heat. Gently coat the squid in 20ml of olive oil then grill for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, turning once. Season and remove. Serve the squid on top of the ajo negro alongside the sweet roasted fennel.
- Finish with the remaining toasted almonds and fennel fronds and serve immediately. Serves 4