Background:  This is a recipe I have previously done with Halibut, however at around $25.00 per pound, squid steaks at about $7.50 per pound became a much more affordable option and taste great. Nordic chefs Tareq Taylor and Andreas Viestad are the inspirations for the baked root vegetables, which use up leftover cream from my refrigerator, while a quick mushroom sauce closes out the dish and provides some earthy texture.

Ingredients:
2 squid steaks (5-6 oz.) defrosted
2 pieces pancetta or bacon chopped
4 ounces portabella mushrooms chopped
1-2 ounces dried chanterelle mushrooms chopped
2 green onions chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 large swede peeled and sliced
1 large parsnip peeled and sliced
1/2 celery root peeled and sliced
3 large Yukon gold potatoes peeled and sliced
2 yellow beets peeled and sliced
1 cup cream
¾ cup half and half
2 sprigs rosemary
¼ cup sherry
1/2 cup duck stock
1/2 jalapeno chopped
1 clove garlic minced
¼ cup cornmeal
¼ cup flour
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp Old Bay
¼ tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp grape seed oil

Steps:

  1. Turn the oven on to 350 F. Combine the root vegetables, cream, half and half, nutmeg, and rosemary in a casserole dish and bring to a boil on the stove. Cover and place in the oven for 45-60 minutes-checking and stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.
  2. While the root vegetables are cooking, combine the corn meal, flour, panko, and old bay in a bowl or plate and mix well. Dry off the squid steaks and coat them well in the mixture then set aside. Rehydrate the chanterelles for a few minutes.
  3. In a small saucepan add one tbsp oil, shallots, jalapeno, mushrooms and allow to cook a few minutes until the mushrooms sweat. Next add the sherry wine and cook for another minute, then add the duck stock and garlic and bring to a boil, then simmer to reduce by 25%.
  4. Once the potatoes and sauce are finished, drop the butter and remaining oil into a cast iron pan and allow to heat to around 375F. Drop the squid steaks in and allow to cook for about three minutes, then turn over and cook for another three minutes (or until browned) watch the heat in the pan. Turn again, if necessary, remove from pan and slice after resting.
  5. Spoon some potatoes onto each plate, lay the sliced squid steak on top, then add the sauce. Garnish with a squeeze of lemon juice and the chopped green onions.