Photo: Salt and Pepper Squid Recipe
Ingredients
- Approximately 2 cups peanut oil (to come about 1/2-inch up in a frying pan)
- 2 tablespoons Maldon or other sea salt
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 18 ounces baby squid, cut into rings, tentacles left unchopped
- Lemon, for squeezing
Directions
Put the oil in a frying pan over high heat. Bash the salt and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle until a bit more than bruised but not quite pulverized, and combine this mixture in a freezer bag with cornstarch, adding the squid and tossing to coat well but not heavily.
When the oil's very hot - not quite smoking, but nearly - fry the squid (knocking any excess cornstarch back in the bag first) in batches (about 4, probably) and cook each batch for about 1 minute or so until just crisp on the outside and still sweet and tender within. You probably won't need to turn the squid since the oil should bubble up and cook both sides at once, but do if you feel better. Remove to plates lined with a paper towel. After the squid's sat for about half a minute, remove the greasy towel - though sometimes, I dispense with this stage - squeeze lemon over and eat with your fingers, quickly.
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By Willowbranch
NC
on April 19, 2008
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I tried this several years after seeing her make it StyleTV. It was so quick & easy that I've made it often since. I try to keep squid in the freezer so I can make this whenever I want. This is the dish that I can throw together quickly with ingredients I have on hand.
By pursnickitty_85...
Tallahassee, FL
on November 20, 2007
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I can't believe I'm the first to rate this recipe. It was so very easy and tasty! I was craving salt and pepper squid and this totally hit the spot. I loved the bruised peppercorns, which gave a wonderful, spicy crunch that bites you back. Lightly fried with salt and a fresh squeeze of lemon - what's not to love? I googled an easy step-by-step illustration online on how to clean squid, which I had never done. It was very easy and I found it quite interesting to get my hands into the anatomy of a squid. I ate it today with jasmine rice and a green mango salad. Tomorrow, I'll put the remainders on a Greek-like salad. Awesome, Nigella.
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