Salt and pepper squid
Jiu yim sin yau (椒鹽鮮魷): crisp-fried squid tossed with garlic, chilli and spiced salt
Late at night in Temple Street, or at a seafood restaurant on Lamma Island after a ferry ride, someone at the table always orders the jiu yim squid: tender pieces under a thin, shattering coat, wok-tossed with a heap of fried garlic, chilli and spring onion and showered with a peppery spiced salt. It is crunchy, salty and a little fiery, ideal with a cold soft drink or as one of several dishes with rice. Squid cooks in seconds. The most frequent mistake is crowding the oil, which drops its temperature so the coating turns soggy and the squid goes rubbery while you wait; fry in small batches. Chef's tip: score the inside of the squid in a criss-cross pattern so it curls up and catches more of the salt.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the squid
- 1 ⅛ lb squid tubescleaned
- 1 ¾ oz cornflour
- 1 oz plain flour
- 3 ¼ cups vegetable oilfor deep-frying
For the spiced salt
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ tsp ground white pepper
- ¼ tsp five-spice powder
- ½ tsp sugar
For the aromatics
- 6 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 2 red chilliesfinely chopped
- 3 spring onionsfinely chopped
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Rinse the squid tubes inside and out under cold water, pulling out any clear quill or loose membrane that is left.
Step 2: Cut 1 ⅛ lb squid tubes open into flat pieces and score the inside in a fine criss-cross with a sharp knife, without cutting through. Cut into 4 cm pieces and pat very dry.
Step 3: Toast 1 tsp salt in a dry pan over a medium heat until it turns faintly grey, then mix it off the heat with ¾ tsp ground white pepper, ¼ tsp five-spice powder and ½ tsp sugar.
2 minStep 4: Toss the squid with 1 egg white. Mix 1 ¾ oz cornflour and 1 oz plain flour in a bowl and toss the squid in it until coated, shaking off the excess.
Step 5: Heat 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a wok or deep pan to 375°F. Fry the squid in 3 batches until the coating is crisp and pale gold and the squid has turned opaque.
2 minStep 6: Drain on a rack. Let the oil come back to 375°F between batches.
Step 7: Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil. Over a medium heat, fry 6 cloves garlic, 2 red chillies and 3 spring onions until the garlic is golden and crisp.
1 minStep 8: Turn the heat to high, return the squid, sprinkle over the spiced salt and toss for 20 seconds. Serve straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 29 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does salt and pepper squid take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of cornflour?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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