Crispy squid
A few years ago when my daughter was only 5 or 6 years old, I cooked this dish and it was one of those times when everything went perfectly right. The batter was crispy and the squid melted in your mouth. Maya, being fussy, would only eat chicken nuggets and not a lot else, so sneakily I gave her a piece to try (without the chilli salt) and said it was a nugget. She loved it! To her horror, when she was older, I told her the truth.
SERVES 2 PREP 15 mins COOK 15 mins EASY
300g fresh squid
2 tsp garlic powder or granules 2 tsp hot chilli powder tsp ground white pepper 50g corn lour
2 eggs
750ml vegetable oil 1 Slice the squid into large bite-sized pieces and gently score the back of each piece with a criss-cross pattern. This will help the squid cook evenly and stop it from curling up too much.
2 Mix the garlic powder, chilli powder, half of the white pepper and 2 tsp salt in a bowl, then set aside. Mix the cornflour with the remaining white pepper and 1 tsp salt. Whisk the eggs in a bowl.
3 Heat the oil in a large wok or deep saucepan, ensuring it is no more than two-thirds full. It’s ready when the temperature reaches 180C, or a cube of bread sizzles and turns brown in 30 seconds when lowered in. Coat each piece of squid with the cornflour and shake o the excess, then dip in the beaten egg and back into the cornflour. Gently lower the squid into the oil, in batches, and fry for 2-3 mins, turning once or twice to allow each piece to brown evenly. Remove from the oil and drain on a wire rack or a plate lined with kitchen paper.
4 Once all of the squid has been fried and drained, transfer to a large bowl, sprinkle over some of the chilli salt mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving plate and serve with the remaining chilli salt.
GOOD TO KNOW gluten free
PER SERVING 351 kcals • fat 13g • saturates 4g • carbs 28g • sugars none • ibre 1g • protein 29g • salt 7.5g