Grilled Calamari Salad

Squid is one of the most abundant forms of seafood in the global market, yet few Americans have ever enjoyed it in any other way than breaded and deep-fried with a marinara chaser. This grilled calamari salad has all the trappings of the much-adored appetizer - crunch from the peanuts, tomatoes, a bit of spice - but so much more. Instead of a heaping mess of fried dough, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the amount of flavor you can actually taste with our calamari version.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb squid, cleaned, tentacles reserved for another use
• 1⁄2 Tbsp peanut or canola oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1⁄2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce (preferably sambal oelek)
• 4 cups watercress
• 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into matchsticks
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1⁄2 red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1⁄4 cup roasted peanuts

Instructions:

1. Preheat a grill.
2. Toss the squid bodies with the oil, and generously season with salt and lots of black pepper.
3. When the grill is very hot, add the squid and grill for about 5 minutes, until lightly charred all over.
4. Combine the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and chili sauce in a mixing bowl and whisk to blend.
5. Slice the grilled squid into 1⁄2" rings.
6. In a salad bowl, toss the squid, watercress, cucumber, tomato, onion, and peanuts with the dressing.
7. Divide the salad among 4 plates.