The first time I ordered a seafood salad with watermelon was at the Mermaid Inn in the East Village. I remember thinking it was some kind of dare-based item, as in, I double-dog-dare you to eat an appetizer of savory, fried fish (that particular salad had fried soft shell crab) atop a sweet juicy treat that I usually enjoy in fruit salad, for dessert.






After just one bite, however, I got it. The seafood, with it’s crispy fried exterior and rich, tender insides is perfectly contrasted by the solid, cold sweetness of the watermelon. It’s baseball games, picnics, and barbecues all stacked together for one perfect bite of summer.

Brian and I had a happy reason for forgoing the yearly trip to Mermaid Inn for my birthday this year, and with the passing of soft shell crab season I thought that I’d missed the window for this salad. Then, leafing through a forgotten cookbook that someone had given me a while back, I found this recipe that replaced the crab with squid and avocado. I made it for my friend Nora when she came to visit, and it was a delicious hit.





There was just one problem when I went to make the dish again – not a ripe avocado was to be found within a 20 block radius of my apartment. Whole Foods, Food Emporium, Trader Joe’s, the Associated, and 5 fruit and veg stands along 14th Street – all had ‘em, but they were all hard as rocks. Totally unusable, and such a shame because the avocado adds a creamy texture and mellow flavor that makes this salad even more irresistible. If you are making this, I strongly encourage you to watch a quick and entertaining demo on how to fry squid by clicking here.

Calamari, Watermelon, (and Avocado) Salad
Adapted from Flavor By Rocco Dispirito

When you use this recipe, be sure to watch Mark Bittman’s video to learn a simple, foolproof technique for frying calamari (click here).

Makes 4 servings

2 teaspoons ground coriander seed

1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

2 cranks on a black peppermill, plus more to taste

1/2 lb. whole squid, cleaned and cut into rings and tentacles

Approximately 1-2 cups grapeseed, corn, or canola oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

zest of 1 lemon

1 shallot, peeled and minced

approximately three cups of watermelon, sliced thin

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into thin slices

flour for breading the calamari

Watch Mark Bittman’s directions in this video to learn exactly what to do to fry your calamari. Only fry the calamari right before you plan to serve it.

Prepare a plate with the sliced watermelon slices and avocado slices. Drizzle some additional lemon juice over the avocado to prevent it from turning brown.

Whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper, and shallot in a small bowl.

Follow the calamari instructions that Mark Bittman gives you, with one exception. Instead of breading in plan flour, mix the coriander into the flour before breading.

When the calamari is fried, arrange it on top of the watermelon and avocado. Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately.