Calamari Ceviche

An ode to Calamari…

It appears I’m kind of having a not-quite-committed yet almost-serious kind of relationship with calamari. I mean, this is going to be the third calamari recipe I’ve shared with you guys in the last 3 months! Wow! First there was this Calamari, Kale & Kalamata Olive Salad, then there was this plate of Lemon Calamari with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. And now I’m about to tell you all about why calamari is amazing by sharing this awesome ceviche recipe!

The great thing about calamari is that you can buy it in the freezer section very cheaply, especially when compared to lots of other seafood. I can buy a pound of wild caught calamari for about $5, whereas I cannot say the same for the more common and often farmed shrimp. I love them because they are so quick to cook and are a super easy way to add protein to a salad or soup. Calamari also has the advantage of not being very “seafoody” – perfect for people who say they don’t like “fishy” tastes.

Calamari Ceviche Shooters from http://meatified.com #paleo #nightshadefree #whole30

How to make Calamari Ceviche

I make ceviche a lot during the summer. It’s great to keep in the fridge for a quick lunch and Mr Meatified is just a tad obsessed with the stuff. Usually, I make my ceviche with white fish or shrimp, so I thought calamari would make a nice change of texture. I chose to quick blanch my calamari in this recipe, so that we could eat much more quickly than with my usual ceviche recipe, which takes closer to 2 hours or more because it uses the acidity of the lime juice to “cook” the seafood.

All you need to do is drop the cut calamari into boiling water for 30 – 60 seconds until it is opaque and cooked through, then plunge into an ice bath afterwards to prevent them overcooking and becoming rubbery. Then just toss the cooled calamari with the other ingredients and you’re almost done!

I deliberately made this calamari ceviche so that is nightshade free and Autoimmune Protocol compliant! There are no tomatoes or peppers of any kind here, like in typical ceviche recipes, so those of you who need to avoid nightshades will be able to enjoy this, too! I used radishes to give a little bit of heat, in place of the usual jalapeño or serrano peppers.

Calamari Ceviche Shooters from http://meatified.com #paleo #nightshadefree #whole30

Calamari Shooters

If made according to the recipe, you will have enough Calamari Ceviche to serve 4 as an appetizer, heaped into bowls, as shown above. However, for a party presentation, the calamari ceviche looks fantastic spooned into shot glasses! You will get approximately 24 shot glass sized servings, depending on the glasses you use!

Look what I just bought!

Spiralizer

I FINALLY caved and bought this awesome vegetable spiralizer! Expect lots of Paleo “noodly” goodness soon – I’m excited to play with it!

Print

Calamari Ceviche Shooters

Great fresh & colorful make ahead dish for the summer, perfect as an appetizer. Up the prettiness factor by serving to guests in shot glasses! Makes 4 appetizer portions or approximately 24 1 oz shooter servings.

  • Author: Rachael Bryant / Meatified
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb calamari, tubes cut into 1/4 inch rings, tentacles cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
  • 1 cup fresh cucumber, peeled, deseeded & diced
  • 1 cup radishes, finely diced
  • 2 sprigs of fresh mint, leaves minced
  • 2 tbl fresh cilantro leaves, minced
  • 2 limes, juiced

Instructions

  1. In a large pan, bring enough water to cover the calamari to the boil.
  2. Once the water is boiling, make an ice bath in the sink in a bowl large enough for the calamari.
  3. Add the calamari to the boiling water and cook until opaque: 30 – 60 seconds.
  4. Remove immediately from the pan and plunge into the ice bath to prevent further cooking.
  5. In a large bowl, combine the pineapple, cucumber, radishes, mint, cilantro & lime juice.
  6. Once the calamari pieces are cool, drain them well and add to the bowl with the other ingredients.
  7. Stir to combine. Can be eaten straightaway but refrigerating for an hour before serving lets the flavors combine better.
  8. Spoon into shot glasses or bowls to serve.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 4 appetizers or 24 shooters

5 comments

  1. I’m not sure if I can find it frozen, I haven’t seen it frozen but I will look. Any idea how to properly clean fresh squid?

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