Not Eating out in Park Slope (The results!)

So remember when we approached Cathy Erway of Not Eating Out in New York to recreate a beloved dish from a local Park Slope restaurant to provide us with an easy-to-follow recipe that we can make at home? 

Well, here it is, yo.  

In our original requests for dishes to create, BK Girl commented, asking for a recipe for a good squid salad.  And I was all like, "Stone Park Cafe's octopus appetizer is so good that it makes me want to fork over what meager salary I make every goddamned time I walk in that place"  (Full disclosure: I actually went to Stone Park Cafe this weekend and dropped $60 on dinner.  I guess I'll pay the ConEd bill, uh, never), so I suggested that Cathy try that one.

She did, and here are the results!:

Squid and Roasted Potato Salad
(makes 1 big serving)

1/2 lb cleaned squid, sliced into rings (except tentacles)
1/4 lb baby fingerling or red potatoes, halved or quartered to about 1-inch pieces
1 small shallot, minced
juice and zest of half a lemon
about 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
handful fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
about 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season the squid in a bowl with about 1 tablespoon olive oil, and a generous pinch each salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes in another 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper and place flat side-down on a tray. Roast for about 6 minutes before checking and flipping to see if they’ve browned on the bottom. Depending on size of potatoes, cook another couple minutes, or until decently browned and tender. Remove and let cool.

Heat a heavy-bottomed or cast-iron pan or griddle over a high flame. Once very hot, add the squid in a single layer, so that each piece gets surface space. Don’t move for about 30 seconds to a minute. Afterward, flip and let cook about another minute, or until the squid is no longer translucent in any parts. Remove immediately from pan and let cool.

Whisk the lemon juice, zest, shallot, coarsely ground pepper and a pinch of salt in a bowl, and drizzle in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil while whisking until emulsified. Toss with the squid and potatoes, and finish with a generous garnish of fresh parsley.

Cost Calculator
(for 1 large serving)

1/4 lb French fingerling potatoes (at $2/lb at Berried Treasures): $0.50
1/2 lb cleaned squid (at $6.95 lb from Blue Moon): $3.46
half a lemon: $0.17
1 small shallot: $0.30
5 tablespoons olive oil: $0.40
salt, pepper, and windowsill parsley: $0.20

Total: $5.03

Compare $5 to the $14 Stone Park Cafe charges for this appetizer?  WIN!

For more photos, detailed instructions and cooking tips, check out Cathy's entry here.

Also, commenter MM requested a recipe for za'atar bread served up at Olive Vine, and Cathy delivered a kick-ass recipe here as well.  

Moral of the story: roll up your sleeves and get your asses in the kitchen.  If anyone tries them out and wants to share photos/stories/results, email them to us at effedinparkslope@gmail.com.