Name: Insalata di Calamaretti e Patate (Salad of Baby Calamari and Potatoes)
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 very ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, drained of liquid, then cut into little cubes; 16 small very fresh basil leaves, stems removed; 1 large pot rapidly boiling water; ¾ cup/170 ml Ligurian extravirgin olive oil; Juice of 1 large or 2 regular lemons; 1 clove garlic, peeled, split, green heart removed, then minced; 1 pound/225 g very fresh baby calamari found in better seafood shops); 4 medium potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, cut into small cubes

Preparation info

Makes
4
servings

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Recipes from Paradise

By Fred Plotkin

Published 1997

About

I sampled this dish at the Ristorante Palma in Alassio, a very chic restaurant in an unlikely setting. Alassio has a nice sandy beach and is geared more to mass tourism than to the audience that Ristorante Palma would seem to cook for. I particularly liked this dish because it exalted the flavors of the ingredients: tender, fresh baby calamari, fruity olive oil, the heavenly scent of Ligurian basil, and the sweet-saltiness of naturally ripe tomatoes. All of these flavors are tamed slightly