Name: Salt & pepper squid with roast chilli dressing
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: Serves 6 with other dishes
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 500g (cleaned weight) medium-size squid; 2 tsp white peppercorns; 4 tsp flaky sea salt; 100g plain flour; groundnut or vegetable oil for frying; 1 long dried chilli roasted and deseeded; 1 tbsp palm sugar or light muscovado sugar; juice 1 lime; 50ml fish sauce

Salt & pepper squid with roast chilli dressing

500g (cleaned weight) medium-size squid
2 tsp white peppercorns
4 tsp flaky sea salt
100g plain flour
groundnut or vegetable oil
for frying

For the chilli dressing

1 long dried chilli
roasted and deseeded
1 tbsp palm sugar
or light muscovado sugar
juice 1 lime
50ml fish sauce

Method

step 1
Cut the squid into large pieces, then score a criss-cross diamond pattern into the flesh, without cutting all the way through. To make the chilli dressing, pound the roasted dried chilli in a mortar and pestle (or food processor), then add the palm sugar. Pound again, adding the lime juice and the fish sauce. Mix well and place to one side. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and slide a baking sheet in.
step 2
Pound the peppercorns and sea salt together, then stir into the flour in a large bowl and set to one side. Heat a few cms oil in a wok or deep frying pan.
step 3
Place the wok over a high heat; when the oil starts to shimmer, it is ready. Toss the squid in the seasoned flour so that it is coated well.
step 4
Drop a quarter of the squid into the oil and fry for about 1 min. The squid should curl and go crisp. Lift out of the oil with a slotted spoon and keep warm in the oven on the baking sheet while you cook the rest. Serve straight away, with the dressing on the side.