Name: Salt & Pepper Squid
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 large squid, about 800g (28oz) each or 4-6 smaller; 300 g gluten-free flour; 300 ml soda water; Salt and pepper for seasoning; Oil, for frying; 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 2 red chillis, thinly sliced; 200 g potato starch; Spicy salt – see below; Coriander/cilantro, to garnish; Lemon wedges and Kewpie mayonnaise*, to serve; 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns; 3 tbsp coriander seeds; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 tsp cloves; 2 tsp chilli flakes; 110 g sea salt flakes; 1 tbsp sumac; 1 tbsp white/granulated sugar; 4 star anise; 0.5 tsp white peppercorn

Instructions

Prepare squid by cutting into rectangular pieces approx. 2.5cm/1”. Keep any tentacles for frying.
Place gluten-free flour, soda, salt and pepper into bowl and whisk until well combined. Batter should not be too thick but have an almost runny texture.
Fill a small frying pan with 3cm/1” oil, heat over medium heat (approx. 180˚C/350˚ F) and fry garlic and chilli until golden brown. Drain on paper towel.
Place potato starch into another bowl. Dip a few pieces of squid into the batter, then into the potato starch, turning pieces until they feel dry.
Fry squid in the oil in batches for 2 minutes or so until crisp. Drain on paper towel. Sprinkle liberally with spicy salt.
Assemble squid on plate, top with fried garlic, chilli and coriander.
For the spicy salt, heat a dry frying pan over medium heat. Toast Sichuan peppercorns, coriander seeds, cinnamon stick and cloves until fragrant and lightly coloured. Mix with the remainder of ingredients. Blitz in Thermomix or similar to a fine powder.
Keep in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

Note

*Kewpie mayo is a Japanese brand of mayonnaise known for its umami-rich, tangy-sweet flavour profile. Compared to American mayonnaise, which uses the whole egg, Kewpie mayo is made with only egg yolks, giving it an exceptionally lush, smooth texture and a deeper yellow colour.

USE THE UTMOST CAUTION WHEN FRYING ON THE STOVETOP IN AN UNCONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT!!

This recipe is not suitable for freezing.

Salt & Pepper Squid