One of our favorite dishes at home is adobong pusit (squid cooked adobo style). It’s a home-style dish that’s quick to prepare and pairs well with hot rice.
Recently, I decided to tweak this dish to give it a more upscale taste.
One of my inspirations for this cooking experiment was Maldon sea salt. Produced in the Maldon, Essex region of the UK, this salt has a crisp, clean taste, without the bitterness of ordinary salt. It’s a favorite of chefs because it enhances the flavor of almost any dish.
You can sprinkle it on fish, omelets, barbecue, chicken, baked potatoes and even on chocolate. Not only does it add flavor, the crystals also add a crunchy texture.
I haven’t seen Maldon sea salt in the local market, but there are other kinds of good sea salt you can use for sprinkling on this upscale version of adobong pusit. Try fleur de sel, for example (available in some branches of Rustan) or Himalayan sea salt, which has an appealing pinkish color.
Adobong Pusit with premium sea salt
1 k squid
2 tbsp olive oil
1 whole head garlic, coarsely chopped
½ c vinegar
½ cup water
Reserved black ink from the squid
Coarse salt, for seasoning
¼ c chopped parsley leaves, divided
Granules of gourmet flaky sea salt such as Maldon or fleur de sel or Himalayan sea salt
Cut off the heads of the squid and separate the tentacles. Set the tentacles aside. Press on the heads of the squid to squeeze out all the black ink. Collect the black ink into a bowl then set aside.
Clean the inner part of the squid well, removing the membranes and any hard part. Slice the squid into one-inch rings.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the garlic over low heat until golden brown. With a slotted spoon, remove the garlic from the pan and set aside.
In a bowl, combine the vinegar, water and the reserved black ink from the squid. Pour into the skillet. Bring to a boil then lower heat to a simmer.
Add the sliced squid, the tentacles and half of the sautéed garlic. Season with salt. Let simmer until the squid and tentacles are cooked, about one minute. Add half of the parsley leaves during the last 30 seconds of cooking.
Transfer to a serving dish. If desired, drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with the remaining garlic and parsley leaves. For the finishing touch, sprinkle granules of flaky sea salt on top just before serving.
Cook’s tips
For this recipe, use the small variety of squid, which contains large amounts of black ink.
Use good quality olive oil.
You can season the squid with any coarse salt. Reserve the gourmet salt for sprinkling on the squid just before serving.
For the finishing touch, try to find gourmet salt such as fleur de sel, Maldon sea salt or Himalayan sea salt.