Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 whole medium calamari
• 250ml extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, cut in half
• 5 medium beetroot
• 2 small brown onions, unpeeled
• 1 garlic head
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Method

1. Pull the legs of the calamari from the head. Cut the legs below the eyes and discard the beak and guts. Keep the legs. Using your fingers remove any remaining guts and the clear cartilage from inside the calamari. Discard. Rinse. For this dish try to keep the skin on the calamari. Place the olive oil in a large pan over medium low heat and add the garlic cloves. When the oil is quite warm but not hot place the calamari, including the legs, into the pan and cover with a lid. Cook for about 5 minutes. Remove the cover and turn the calamari. Cover once again and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Occasionally shake the pan so the calamari doesn’t stick. Remove the lid, season with salt, stir, and then re-cover and continue cooking another 5 minutes. Remove the calamari onto a cutting board and slice into 1 cm thick slices. Place onto a serving plate and drizzle over with a few tablespoons of the olive oil and cooking juices from the pan, season well with sea salt and serve straight away.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C . Wrap each beetroot in foil. Place on a baking tray with onions and garlic and bake for 40 minutes or until onions are cooked through. Remove garlic and onion and continue baking the beetroot in the foil for another 40 minutes. Remove the beetroot and allow to cool.
3. With a sharp knife peel beetroot then slice into 3-4 mm discs and then cut into 1 cm wide strips. Place in bowl. Peel the onions and cut into thin strips and add to beetroot. Cut the end off the garlic head and squeeze all the roasted garlic pulp into the beetroot and onion.
4. Toast fennel seeds in a small frying pan for 1-2 minutes until you see the change in color of the seeds and the kitchen fills with aroma of fennel. Place the seeds in a mortar and pestle and lightly pound to break them up a little. Add to the beetroot with the chopped mint.
5. In a small bowl mix the olive oil, lemon juice and white wine vinegar. Season with sea salt and mix through the beetroot. Serve as a bed with the calamari sliced over the top.