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Monterey Squid & Chorizo, smoked fingerlings, green olive

Recipe by chef Charlie Parker

Serves 2

1 cup fingerling potatoes

Peanut or vegetable oil (for frying)

1 ½  ounces ground chorizo

2 ½  ounces of cleaned Monterey squid

Lemon juice and salt to season

2 tablespoons green olive vinaigrette (recipe below)

2 tablespoons Meyer lemon aioli (recipe below)

2 tablespoons micro cilantro

1.     Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with 2 inches of cold water. 
2.     Add salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. 
3.     Reduce the heat to medium and cook gently until tender, approximately 30 minutes.
4.     Drain potatoes and let cool completely. 
5.     Using a smoker or grill, smoke the potatoes over Apple Wood chips for 2 hours.
6.     Using a fryer or Dutch oven, heat the frying oil to 350 degrees. The oil should reach a depth of two inches.
7.     Fry the potatoes until golden brown, approximately 2 minutes. 
8.     Transfer potatoes to paper towels to drain any excess oil. 
9.     In a mixing bowl, combine potatoes with salt.
10.  Meanwhile, heat a cast iron sauté pan over medium heat and brown the chorizo until it is cooked through, approximately 1 minute.
11.  Heat another cast iron pan until smoking, then add 1 tablespoon blend oil and sauté the squid for 30 seconds, until it gets some char marks.
12.  Remove the squid from the pan and place in a bowl with the chorizo.
13.  Season with lemon juice and salt.
14.  To plate, place 2 tablespoons aioli on the bottom of the plate.
15.  Stack the fingerlings on top of the aioli.
16.  Arrange the squid and chorizo over the potatoes.
17.  Finish with 2 tablespoons of the olive vinaigrette and micro cilantro.

Green Olive Vinaigrette

Makes 1 ½ cups, will last for months in the refrigerator  

1/3 cup shallots, minced

½ cup water

½ cup Champagne vinegar

½ cup sugar

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon chili flake

1 tablespoon salt

1 cup Castelvetrano olives, chopped finely

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

1.     To pickle the shallots, combine the water, Champagne vinegar, sugar, bay leaf, chili flakes, and salt, and bring to a boil. 
2.     Once the sugar has dissolved, pour the pickling liquid over the shallots and place in the refrigerator. 
3.     Once the mixture has cooled completely, the pickled shallots are ready to use.
4.     Using 1/3 cup of the pickled shallots, combine all the ingredients and stir thoroughly.

Meyer Lemon Aioli

Makes 1 quart, will last a week in the refrigerator

5 egg yolks

½ cup Meyer lemon juice

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon hot paprika

1 ½ cup olive oil

1 cup blend oil

2 tablespoons garlic oil

Salt to taste

1.     In a food processor, add the egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and paprika.
2.     Drizzle in the oils until the mixture emulsifies. 

3.     Add salt to season.