Dazz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

The temperatures have been higher than usual at this time of year and there is every sign of spring already.

With my new tunnel houses now complete I have been tempted to plant basil, as temperatures are hitting 17 degrees during the day.
So it's a bit hard to tuck into the pea soup I just made, as I expect worse weather at this time of year.
Even outside on the deck the microgreens are thriving – it's not only the love I put into them but the fantastic Bay of Plenty weather.
I have more micro greens than usual, so I thought, instead of soup, I would have a warm salad – something crispy – with an assortment of microgreens.
A trip to Sanfords on Sulphur Point saw me buy some fresh squid (or calamari, as it's often referred to) which is renowned for being chewy when overcooked.
So, with this in mind, and keeping things simple, this week's recipe is a salt and pepper-inspired calamari salad.

Salt and pepper calamari

Ingredients
600-700g fresh calamari
1 heaped Tbsp Korean red pepper powder (Lim ga ne)
2 Tbsp freshly cracked peppercorns
2 Tbsp sea salt flakes
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
4 Tbsp of fine polenta
1 tsp baking soda
Large hand-full of fresh microgreens
¼ cup of olive oil
Oil for deep frying

Method
Clean and gut the calamari by removing the plastic y spine and skin. Score the inside of the calamari with the tip of a knife, and cut into bite-size pieces. Mix together peppercorns, red pepper powder, sea salt and the lemon zest. Now put half of this mix in a bowl with the corn flour, polenta, and baking soda. Toss the calamari pieces into this seasoned mix and coat well, then set aside. Mix a little water with the remaining flour mix to form a thickish batter then dip each piece of dusted calamari into the batter and fry in hot oil in a pot for about one minute or less. Depending on thickness of calamari it pays to test a piece out. Drain on absorbent paper and then sprinkle on the rest of the spice mix. Place on a pile of microgreens. Whisk together lemon juice and olive oil and drizzle over just before serving.