Summer Squid

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 230°C. Rub the yellow and red bell peppers with oil and roast for 7–8 minutes.
2. Remove the peppers from the oven, place them in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 5 minutes to loosen the skin.
3. Wash and trim the small zucchini (with flower). Blanch in salted boiling water for 2–3 minutes, then cool in ice water.
4. Prepare the soffritto: finely chop celery, carrot, onion, and crushed garlic along with parsley stems. Sauté in olive oil until fragrant.
5. Clean the fish: remove gills from scampi, naselli, zanchetta, triglia, and gallinella. Cut scampi in half lengthwise and cut other fish into pieces.
6. Sear the fish: place the scampi heads down in the pan with the soffritto, then add the remaining fish. Do not stir immediately to keep the temperature high.
7. Deglaze with white wine, then add diced fresh tomatoes and water. Simmer for 30–40 minutes.
8. While the soup cooks, peel the roasted peppers. Remove skin, seeds, and cut into 1 cm wide strips.
9. Prepare the vegan fennel mayonnaise: blend soy milk, fennel seed powder, sunflower oil, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Adjust consistency with more oil if needed. Set aside.
10. Slice the blanched zucchini lengthwise into sticks.
11. Grill the pepper strips, zucchini sticks, and the whole squid (with heads) until nicely charred. Cook the squid heads on a cooler part of the grill.
12. When the fish soup is ready, strain it through a fine chinois, pressing the solids to extract all juices.
13. Return the strained soup to the heat and reduce it until it thickens to a sauce consistency.
14. Divide the reduced sauce into two portions: keep one plain and mix the other with squid ink.
15. Season the grilled peppers with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper, and a dash of vinegar. Toss well.
16. Prepare the crispy zucchini flower chip: place the zucchini flowers on a plate with plastic wrap, lightly oil them, cover with another layer of plastic wrap, and microwave at medium power for 3–4 minutes until crisp. (Pierce the wrap first.)
17. Assemble the dish: spoon the fennel mayonnaise onto the plate and sprinkle with a little fennel powder.
18. Arrange the grilled zucchini, seasoned peppers (folded), grilled squid and squid heads, and pea shoots on the plate.
19. Sprinkle katsuobushi over the top.
20. Place a crispy zucchini flower chip on the plate.
21. Drizzle the two fish sauces (plain and squid-ink) around the plate.