Ink Marinated Calamari + Pesto an Red Pepper Salad

Ingredients:

Ink-Marinated Calamari, Pesto and Red Pepper Chip Salad With a Rioja Vinaigrette

The Rioja Vinaigrette:

Ingredients:
1/2 Bottle Rioja Red Wine
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbsp Dijon Mustard (whole seed, not Gray Poopon stuff either)
1 cup Olive Oil
2 tbsp Honey
4 cloves Garlic
1 can Anchovies (in oil, don’t drain)
1 Roma Tomato (seeded)
2 sprigs Rosemary
juice from 1/2 lemon
freshly cracked Pepper

Puree the anchovies, garlic, and tomato until a paste-like consistency is formed. Add the Dijon and blend well.

Step 1:

Reduce the Rioja to 1/3 cup.

Step 2:

Blend with the anchovy base and add the balsamic vinegar and honey. Slowly add the oil while whisking constantly. Finish with the rosemary, lemon juice and pepper.

Step 3:

The Red Pepper Chips:

Ingredients:
1 Red Pepper
Cornstarch
Water

Cut the red pepper in half and drizzle it with olive oil.

Place under the broiler until blackened.

Let cool; then seed and peel the burnt skin off.

Step 4:

Puree until smooth. Add a tbsp of water if necessary.

Step 5:

Heat up a pan and add the puree. Stir until it starts to boil. Mix a few Tbsp of water with a few Tbsp of cornstarch to make a slurry. Slowly add this and let the puree thicken.

Step 6:

Spread the puree out on a parchment sheet.

Step 7:

Bake at 300F for an hour or until crisp.

Cut into triangles.

Step 8:

And fry in olive oil.

Step 9:

The Pesto Chips:

Ingredients:
20 leaves Basil
2 cloves Garlic
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
Water
Cornstarch

Puree the garlic, basil, and cheese, with 1/4 cup water until smooth.

Step 10:

Follow the same instructions for the Red Pepper Chips.

Step 11:

Follow the same instructions for the Red Pepper Chips.

Step 12:

The Ink-Marinated Calamari:

Ingredients:
3 large Squid
1/4 cup Olive Oil

Step 13:

Wash and clean the squid, making sure to reserve the ink sac (it’s the pearly colored gland on the intestine).

Step 14:

Cut open the sac and drain out the ink. Add a drop of water and mix. Remove the actual sacs.

Step 15:

Spread the ink out onto parchment paper.

Bake at 200F for 1 1/2 hours or until dried.

Step 16:

Mix flakes with the olive oil and heat in skillet.

(There actually would've been more ink, however I lost a few ink flakes when my central air clicked on)

Step 17:

Cut the cleaned squid into bite-sized pieces and sauté in ink oil for 2 minutes.

Step 18:

Assembling The Salad:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese (finely shredded)
Mesclun Mix
Chives
Pesto Chips
Red Pepper Chips
Calamari
Rioja Salad Dressing

Heat a cast-iron skillet until it is sizzling hot. Evenly sprinkle the parmesan cheese in a circle on it.

Let the cheese cook until golden brown. Quickly flip the cheese disk onto an inverted glass and gently press into the shape of a bowl. Let cool completely.

Step 19:

Mix some of the squid and chips in with the mesclun. Add the dressing and mix well. Scoop salad into parmesan bowl and top with chives.

Step 20:

Close up: