Scallop, squid and venison chorizo salad

SERVES 4

1 red capsicum (pepper)

1 yellow capsicum (pepper)

2 large squid tubes

olive oil

12 scallops

1 chorizo sausage (I used a venison chorizo), thinly sliced

½ iceberg lettuce, roughly torn

1 large handful of baby English spinach leaves

1 large handful of rocket (arugula)

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (optional)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

To prepare the capsicums, slice the sides from the core so you have four flat sides from each capsicum and place them, skin side up, under a hot grill (broiler). Let them blister and burn until blackened and then place them in a plastic bag to sweat for 5 minutes. Peel the skins off and thinly slice the flesh.

Clean the squid tubes, removing any skin and cartilage. Cut the squid tube on one side so that you can open it out into a square or rectangle. Make sure the inside is clean. Score the soft inside flesh quite deeply to form a diamond pattern. Season with salt and pepper and cook, scored side down, on a hot barbecue plate with a splash of olive oil.

Season the scallops with salt and pepper and add to the barbecue plate to cook. Add the chorizo to the barbecue with a splash of olive oil. Turn the squid and cook the other side and do the same with the scallops and chorizo. The squid will naturally curl up into a roll which you can then cut into 3–4 pieces. When everything is cooked remove to a bowl and keep warm.

Put your salad leaves and fennel in a bowl and mix through about half of the red capsicum and an equal amount of the yellow capsicum. Whisk together the olive oil and sherry vinegar and dress the salad. Tip the seafood and chorizo into the bowl with the salad including any and all of the juices. Give it all a good mix and then carefully arrange on a plate, making sure the seafood and chorizo is distributed equally. Top with some more of the red and yellow capsicum, if you like.

The key to this is fresh, fresh, fresh. Whatever you do, please don’t use frozen seafood in the salad. It will be watery and tasteless.