Mark Hix recipe: Romanesco and squid salad

Serves 4

Romanesco and squid salad (Jason Lowe)

You quite often see Romanesco broccoli in good greengrocers and supermarkets these days. It is easy to spot because its pointed florets give it a space-age look. If you can't find it, you can always use sprouting broccoli or a mixture of other types of broccoli.

1 head of Romanesco, trimmed into florets and any good small leaves kept (use trimmings for the soup)
300-400g squid, cleaned
3-4tbsp olive oil
1 small chilli, trimmed and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
The juice of 1 lemon

Preheat a ribbed griddle pan, season the squid and brush with oil. Grill for a minute or two on each side and remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, cook the Romanesco in boiling, salted water for 3-4 minutes, until tender, then drain in a colander.

While the squid and Romanesco are cooking, heat the rest of the olive oil gently in a separate pan and then add the chilli and garlic; remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl.

Cut the squid head and tentacles into rough 2-3 cm squares. Mix the squid and Romanesco with the oil, season and add enough lemon juice to taste. Serve at room temperature.