Recipe: Squid, tomato and avocado salad with lime and coriander

Squid may look a little intimidating, but it’s easy to cook, says Billy White. It’s also a really good source of protein. This simple salad makes a great lunch or first course – and if you ask nicely, your local fishmonger or supermarket fish counter will clean and score the squid for you.

Serves 4

• 2 medium squid, cleaned and scored
• extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 2-3 limes: 1 juiced (or more to taste), 1-2 cut into halves or wedges to serve
• 1kg ripe mixed tomatoes (ideally on the vine), chopped into bite-sized chunks
• 1 small Romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped
• a bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
• 2 ripe avocados, flesh only, cut into bite-sized chunks
• coarse sea salt, to taste
• a pinch of chilli flakes (optional) to serve

Method

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• Combine the squid in a large bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and set aside to marinate for about 5 minutes.
• Combine the red onion in a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt and the lime juice. Leave the ingredients to get to know one another for 10 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, lettuce and fresh coriander to the onion mixture.
• Heat a cast-iron frying pan over a high heat until smoking hot, then add the marinated squid to the pan (you may want to do this in 2 batches, so as not to cool the pan down too much).
• Sear for 1 minute on each side until the body flesh has curled up and the tentacles have a little golden colour, then remove from the pan.
• Chop the squid into bite-sized pieces and add to the salad.
• Finally, add the avocado to the salad, along with a glug of olive oil, then taste to see whether you need to add more salt or lime juice.
• Arrange in 4 shallow bowls and serve sprinkled with chilli flakes (if using), with lime halves or wedges on the side and – who could forget – some ice-cold beer.

Taken from Eat Run Enjoy: Recipes for Running Performance and Pleasure by Billy White, published by Bloomsbury Sport at £22. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £17.99, call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.