Salt & Pepper Squid with Lime Aioli
25 min · Medium
#asian#high-protein#quick#summer
The plate that disappears before anyone sits down. Squid tossed in peppery cornflour and flash-fried for barely ninety seconds, so it stays tender inside its blistered crust. Cold lime aioli, chilli flakes, cold drinks, warm evening — that is the entire brief.
Ingredientsfor 6 portions
- 600 g Squid, Raw, cleaned, cut into rings
- 50 g Mayonnaise
- 1 Lime
- 1 clove Garlic, crushed
- 60 g Cornstarch
- 30 g All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Black Pepper, coarsely cracked
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 40 g Vegetable Oil
- 30 g Spring Onions, sliced
- 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Steps
- Slice the squid tubes into rings and halve the tentacles. Pat everything thoroughly dry — wet squid steams instead of crisping, and it spits in hot oil.
- Stir the crushed garlic and lime juice into the mayonnaise and chill the aioli until you serve.
- Toss the cornflour, flour, sea salt and a heavy hand of coarsely cracked black pepper together in a wide bowl.
- Heat the oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat until a pinch of flour sizzles on contact.
- Dredge the squid in the seasoned flour, shake off the excess, and fry in small batches for about 90 seconds until pale gold. Any longer and it turns to rubber.
- Drain briefly on kitchen paper, scatter with spring onions and chilli flakes, and serve straight away with the lime aioli and wedges of lime.
