← Nouns Cooking · Chinese

Ingredients

• 600 g cleaned squid tubes and tentacles
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 60 g Cornflour (cornstarch)
• 40 g plain flour
• ½ tsp Salt
• ½ tsp White pepper
• 1 l vegetable oil, for deep frying
• 3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 1 Red chilli, thinly sliced
• 2 Spring onion, thinly sliced
• ½ tsp salt, to finish
• ½ tsp white pepper, to finish
• 1 Lemon, cut into wedges

Method

1. Cut the squid tubes open, score the inside in a fine criss-cross and cut into 4 cm pieces. Toss with the Shaoxing wine, then pat very dry.
2. Mix the coating ingredients in a bowl. Heat the oil in a deep pan or wok to 180°C (350°F).
3. Toss a handful of squid in the coating, shake off the excess and lower into the oil. Fry for 1–2 min, until pale golden and crisp. Drain on a rack and repeat with the rest, letting the oil come back to temperature between batches.
4. Pour off all but 1 tbsp of oil from the wok. Fry the garlic, chilli and spring onion over medium heat for 30 seconds.
5. Add the squid, sprinkle with the finishing salt and pepper and toss quickly. Serve straight away with lemon wedges.

Tips

• Squid goes rubbery if fried too long: take it out as soon as the coating is crisp.
• Never leave hot oil unattended, and keep a lid nearby. Squid is a mollusc, so avoid it with shellfish allergies.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

RecipeTin Eats Made With Lau Omnivore's Cookbook