Food: Salt and Pepper Squid

Salt and Pepper Squid Recipe

Calamari is a popular summer dish, whether you’re abroad or out on a hot day it’s always a good choice. The only problem is that I find the batter that comes with calamari really swamps the delicate taste of squid, for that reason I far prefer salt and pepper squid. Initially I could only find this dish in Chinese recipes, but lately I am finding it increasingly more often on menu’s in place of calamari. Rather than a heavy batter, the squid is just dusted. The salt and pepper also enhances the flavour, rather than overpowering it.

After setting out to find my favourite gluten-free homemade version of this, I created this one. Which is every bit just as good as the dish you will be served at a restaurant.

Ingredients (Serves 4):

Squid - 8 Prepared Squid
Gluten Free Flour - 100g
Ground White Pepper - 1 Tbsp
Salt - 1 Tsp
Vegetable Oil - To half fill a pan

Directions:

I tend to buy my squid from either a fishmongers or a supermarket, that way they will prepare them for you. Remove the tentacles and set them to one side. Slice the squid lengthways on one side so that you can lay it out flat, score the squid with a knife (not cutting all the way through) so that there are crisscrosses about 5mm apart. This will make the squid more tender. Then cut the squid into pieces about 2cm by 2 inches, or how you prefer it!

Heat your sunflower, or vegetable, oil in a pan and fill it about half way (2/3cm) to about 180 degrees celsius.

Mix your flour, salt and pepper in a bowl. Rinse your squid pieces and pat dry with paper towels, before adding to the bowl of flour mixture. Toss together to make sure the squid is evenly covered in flour.

Once your oil is up to heat add one of the pieces of squid for about 90 seconds. Allow to cool before checking that the squid is cooked through. You want the squid under the flour to be a white colour rather than slightly translucent like when raw, if it does look a little raw then go up to two minutes. You also want the squid to be still tender, if it is chewy then you want to go down to about one minute. I tend to cook mine for about 60 seconds in four batches.

If you think the squid needs a little more salt then sprinkle this over once cooked. I like to serve mine with garlic mayonnaise.

How do you like to serve yours?