Peppered Squid Recipes

Steps:

• If you got whole squid, clean them first: gently pull the head and tentacles away from the body, then pull out the backbone (quill, aka cuttlebone) from inside the body and discard it and the intestines and ink sac; cut the tentacles from the head just below the eyes and discard head; remove membrane/skin from body.
• (How you cut up the squid at this point is a matter of preference, but here's how I like it.).
• Cut the larger tentacles away from the smaller ones, so that you get some single tentacles in the mix.
• Pull or cut the wings away from the body.
• Cut the body down the center so that you can open the two sides up flat, then make strips that are between 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide and about 1 to 1 1/2 inch long; you can also cut the body into 1/4-inch wide tubes, if you like.
• Rinse all the cut pieces, tentacles, and wings well in a sieve, and let drain.
• In a dry skillet, roast the peppercorns over medium high heat until they begin to smoke; remove from heat, let cool, then use a mortar and pestle or other grinder (I use a coffee grinder) to make into a fine powder.
• In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, cayenne, garlic powder, and powdered peppercorns.
• Add the drained squid pieces, and toss or stir well with your hand to coat them well, shaking off excess.
• Heat oil in a hot wok or deep heavy pan until very hot (the surface should seem to simmer slightly - you can test it with a single piece to see if it's not enough), then deep fry the squid in batches for 1 to 2 minutes until tender and beginning to turn golden. Do not overcook or your cooked squid will turn rubbery -- blech.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels.
• Serve immediately with dipping sauce - we like garlic chile sauce, but cocktail sauce or aioli is nice, too.

Steps:

• Cut the squid bodies into thin rounds and the triangular fins and tentacles into small pieces. Dry on paper towels.
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the squid and saute just until it turns completely white. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining squid. Pour the cooking oil over the squid in the bowl.
• Add the vinegar to the pan and swirl around to deglaze, then pour it over the squid. Add the garlic, salt and cayenne and toss to mix. Let stand at room temperature until cooled.

Steps:

• Heat a saute pan very hot and add the salt. Reduce the heat and saute for 3 to 5 minutes. Turn heat off and add the peppercorns. Mix and let stand. For the squid, score the squid on the inside with a criss-cross pattern then cut them into 2-inch triangles and set aside. To make the batter, slowly add cold water to the flour and baking powder to achieve a runny pancake batter. Whisk in the oil. In a fryer or wok, deep fry the squid until golden brown, season with seasoned salt and set aside on paper towels. In the same wok, drain the oil leaving 2 tablespoons and caramelize the shallots, peppers and chiles, about 4 minutes. Season and add back the squid, mix quickly.
• PLATING: On a large oval, plate the squid.
• WINE: Artesa Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, 1998, Napa

Steps:

• Wash the squid tubes and slice them open to lay them flat. Run the tip of your knife along the squid pieces in a diagonal criss-cross pattern (this will help the squid curl up nicely when cooking).
• Place the squid tubes and tentacles in a mixing bowl and cover with the cornstarch, then cover the bowl with a plate or lid. Hold the bowl and lid together firmly and shake to mix well.
• After shaking, use your fingers to massage the cornstarch into the squid until each piece is separate and is as dry as possible. Add more cornstarch if necessary.
• Finely chop the garlic and chiles. Finely slice the spring onions.
• Build your own wok clock: Place your squid bowl at 12 o'clock, then arrange the garlic, chile, salt, pepper and spring onions clockwise around your plate.
• Half-fill a large pot, wok or deep-fryer with vegetable oil and heat to 180°C (350°F), or until the tip of a wooden chopstick or skewer starts to fizz after a second or so in the oil.
• Carefully add the squid pieces and deep-fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the squid pieces carefully with a slotted spoon and drain well on a plate covered with kitchen paper.
• In a separate wok, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic, chile, salt and pepper, then add the squid and toss together a few times. Transfer to a serving plate and scatter over the spring onion to finish. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• To make the dipping sauce, mix all the ingredients in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved, then set aside. Mix the cornflour and plain flour with both peppers and 2 tsp sea salt in a large bowl, then set aside. Line a tray with kitchen paper and make sure you have more salt to sprinkle with.
• Heat about 7cm of oil to 180C in a deep fryer, wok or deep pan. If you don't have a thermometer, you can test it with a cube of bread - it should brown in 20 secs. Coat the squid well with the flour mix and fry in batches for about 2 mins each or until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to lift out the squid, then drain on the kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little more salt. Serve the squid scattered with the spring onion and chilli, with the dipping sauce on the side.