Salt And Pepper Fried Squid With Spicy Lemongrass Dipping Sauce Recipes

SALT AND PEPPER SQUID

Steps:

• First prepare your squid. Rinse it well in cold water. Cut the tentacles off using one cut, keeping about a 1/4 inch of the hood in order to end up with one piece of calamari that includes all the tentacles. If you're using larger squid, you can cut these pieces lengthwise in half in order to make them bite-sized. Having each piece be roughly the same size is important for achieving the same cooking time for each piece of calamari. Drain the squid pieces in a colander and transfer to a bowl.
• Marinate the squid in the shaoxing wine and sesame oil. Toss gently and set aside.
• In a medium deep pot, add enough oil so that the level of oil reaches 4 inches up the side of the pot. Heat the oil until the temperature reaches 325 degrees.
• While you're waiting for the oil to heat, prepare your dry mixture. Combine the all-purpose flour, semolina flour, cornmeal, salt, and white pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• When the oil reaches temperature, you're ready to start dredging your squid. Work in batches of small fistfuls of calamari. Gently squeeze off any liquid and dredge the squid in the dry mixture.
• Using a long-handled sieve or slotted spoon, lower the calamari into the hot oil. Gently move the calamari pieces back and forth. Let them fry until golden brown, about 2-2 1/2 minutes. Remove all the calamari and let drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Taste one piece of calamari for saltiness (be careful, it's hot). You can sprinkle more salt immediately after frying to your taste. A necessary step, however, is to crack some fresh white pepper over the freshly fried squid. Continue frying in these small batches and seasoning with white pepper until you've fried all the squid.
• Now the next phase: stir-frying the fried squid. Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the ginger and let it fry in the oil. After about 20 seconds, add the garlic. Stir the garlic around the wok quickly in order to prevent burning. When the garlic gets lightly golden in color, add the peppers. Continue to stir fry for another 30 seconds.
• Add the squid to the wok and stir fry quickly in the aromatic mixture for about a minute or so. Plate and serve immediately with white rice! And don't leave those crispy pieces of garlic and pepper behind!

SPICY SEAFOOD DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Grill garlic and chiles: Preheat charcoal grill according to grill directions to medium heat, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, peel garlic; slice larger cloves in half. Skewer garlic and place on the grill. Remove chile stems, skewer sideways, and place on the grill. Grill garlic and chiles for 8-10 minutes, flipping after 4 minutes. Note: Alternatively, garlic and chiles can be charred in the oven. Preheat to broil. Place on a baking sheet 4-6 inches under the heat source for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway through, until both sides are charred.
• Cilantro: Place a cloth towel under the mortar to keep it stable. Trim half of the cilantro stems, roughly chop, and place in the mortar along with the salt. Use pestle to pound the stems and salt into a paste. Finely chop remaining cilantro bunch (stems and leaves); set aside.
• Sauce: Garlic and chiles are done when they're soft, cooked through, and lightly charred. Remove from skewers and place into the mortar. Pound into the cilantro-salt mixture to break the ingredients down to a smooth paste. Add sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce to the mortar; stir around to combine. Add 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (if there's any remaining, save for another recipe); transfer to a bowl and serve. Makes about ¾ cup. You can store it in the refrigerator in a sealed container for several days, but it tastes best immediately after it's made.

SALT AND PEPPER CALAMARI

Steps:

• For the calamari: In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat to 360 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, stir together the cornstarch and flour with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Toss the squid in the cornstarch, being sure to completely coat.
• Working in batches, lift the squid from the cornstarch, shaking to remove any excess, and carefully place in the oil. Fry until lightly golden and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain on a baking sheet lined with a brown paper bag. Repeat with the remaining squid.
• For the dipping sauce: Combine the soy sauce, chili sauce, lime juice, garlic, scallions and ginger in a small bowl. Stir together and serve with the calamari.

SALT AND PEPPER-FRIED SQUID WITH SPICY LEMONGRASS DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Slice clean, dry squid into 1/8-inch rings. If using medium-size squid, cut open squid and make a light crisscross pattern on the outside with a paring knife, then cut into approximately 1-inch pieces.
• Heat oil in wok over medium heat to about 375 degrees. Mix salt, pepper, and cornstarch in a plastic bag. Add the squid, seal the bag, and shake it to coat each piece evenly. Put a few squid pieces at a time the palm of your hand and shake off the excess cornstarch mix. Working in batches, deep-fry the squid until the rings turn golden and crisp, about 1 minute, or if using 1-inch square pieces, until they curl up and crisp, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels and serve with lime wedges on the side.

SALT AND PEPPER SQUID WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND BELL PEPPERS

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