Salt and pepper squid

Mark says the key to tender squid is to cook it quickly, in hot oil. If it is cooked for too long, it will be chewy. This dish needs to be cooked immediately before serving.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 squid tubes, cleaned
• 1/2cup cornflour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/2teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1/2teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2teaspoon ground dried chillies
• 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice
• Vegetable oil, for deep frying

 

Method:

1. Cut the squid tubes open and lay flat.
2. Using the blade of a knife, gently scrape the very fine membrane covering the squid to rough it up a bit.
3. Score the squid in a criss-cross pattern and cut into strips about 2 cm wide. 4. Combine the flour and spices in a bowl.
5. Toss the squid through, coating thoroughly.
6. Heat the oil in a large pot or a deep fryer to a high temperature (200*C).
7. Fry the squid in small batches to maintain the heat in the oil. The squid should only take 1 to 1 1/2 minutes to turn a light golden brown. If it is over cooked it will be very tough.

To serve:

Serve with lemon wedges and tartare, or sweet chilli sauce, and green salad.