Asian Recipes and Cooking Guide

Cooking Tips, Kitchen Skills and Recipes.....

To prepare squid, rinse well in cold water, then firmly pull apart the head and body; the innards will come away with the head. Remove and discard the transparent beak. Rinse the  body pouch thoroughly and peel off the thin layer of dark skin. The tentacles are edible, so cut them away from the head just below the eyes.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

8 baby squid, cleaned

2 tablespoon dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 tablespoons dry sherry

1 tablespoon clear honey

2.5 cm/1 inch piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 red chilies, seeded and finely chopped

1 green chili, seeded and finely chopped

1 teaspoon cornflour

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Lime wedges, to garnish

Method:

Slice open the body of each squid lengthways, open out and place on a chopping board with the inside uppermost. Using a sharp knife, score lightly in a criss-cross pattern. Cut each one into 4 pieces. Trim the tentacles.

Place the soy and hoisin sauces with the lime juice, sherry, honey, ginger, chilies and cornflour in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix together. Add the squid, stir well to coat, then cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour.

Tip the squid into a sieve over a small saucepan and strain off the marinade. Scrape any bits of chili or ginger into the saucepan, as they would burn if fried. Fill a deep-fat fryer one-third full with oil and heat to 180°C/350°F. Deep-fry the squid in batches for 2-3 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove the squid and drain on absorbent kitchen paper. Keep warm.

Bring the marinade to the boil and let it bubble gently for a few seconds. Arrange the squid on a warmed serving dish and drizzle over the marinade. Garnish with lime wedges and serve immediately.

Happy Cooking,

Carol