The Fried squid flowers with ginger and spices recipe is a Squid, shrimp, and other sweet seafood lend themselves well to being fried with a hot and salty coating. The coating can be as simple as salt and pepper, or salt and chile, or a combination of crushed pepper, dried chile and Sichuan pepper. The recipe differs slightly from the usual method of crusting, then frying, that is often served in Chinese restaurants—it adds another layer of flavors.
Serves 4–6
Ingredients:
1 lb (450g) squid, cleaned
2in (5cm) piece of fresh ginger, chopped
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
vegetable oil for deep-frying
2 teaspoons spicy salt and pepper
fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped, to garnish
lemon or lime wedges, to garnish For the spicy salt and pepper
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons ground Sichuan peppercorns
1 teaspoon crushed dried red chile flakes
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
Method:
1. To make the spicy salt and pepper, mix the four ingredients together, and dry-roast in a small frying pan over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes until fragrant. Set aside.
2. Rinse the squid, and pat dry with paper towels. Score the inside of the squid with a crisscross pattern, making sure not to slice all the way through. Cut into 11⁄4in x 2in (3cm x 5cm) pieces. Blanch in a pan of boiling water for 30 seconds. Each piece will curl up, and the crisscross pattern will open out like a flower. Remove with a slotted spoon and refresh in cold water. Remove and once again pat dry with paper towels.
3. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the ginger to a pulp. Take the pulp in your hands and squeeze all the juice into a bowl; discard the pulp. Add the rice wine and squid to the juice, and marinate the squid in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
4. Fill a wok a quarter full with oil, and heat over a medium-high heat. (To check that the oil is hot enough, fry a piece of bread— it should turn golden in about 15 seconds.) Season the squid with 2 teaspoons spicy salt and pepper. (Keep the rest in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid for other uses.)
5. Fry the squid for 40 seconds in the hot oil, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on paper towels. Serve immediately with the cilantro sprinkled on top and the lemon or lime wedges for squeezing over.
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| Fried squid flowers with ginger and spices recipe |
