Salt and pepper squid is such a delight to make yourself at home – and surprisingly easier than you think. I like to use Sichuan peppercorns in the mix to add a tingly, numbing and slightly spicy flavour to proceedings. And adding yuzu to aioli? You’ll never have it any other way.
Salt and Pepper Squid With Aioli
1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp sea salt
vegetable oil, for deep-frying and stir-frying
¼ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
¼ cup rice flour
2 large whole squid, cleaned and cut into pieces (see my video on how to clean and prepare squid here ) or 400g (14 oz) pre-cleaned calamari tubes, sliced into rings
lime wedges, to serve
Aioli:
1 egg
½ garlic clove, finely grated
1 tbsp yuzu juice or lemon juice
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
- For the aioli, place the ingredients into a jug and use an immersion blender to blend for 2–3 minutes or until thick and completely emulsified. Transfer to a serving bowl and set aside for later.
- Use a mortar and pestle to grind the peppercorns and the salt to a fine powder. Transfer to a small bowl.
- Fill a saucepan or wok to about one-third capacity with the vegetable oil. Heat over high heat. The oil is hot when a wooden spoon dipped into the oil forms small little bubbles (about 165°C/325°F).
- Combine the plain flour and rice flour in a large bowl or tray. Toss the pieces of squid in the flour until evenly coated. When the oil is hot, fry the squid in batches for 2-3 minutes or until light golden in colour and cooked through. Drain on paper towel. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper mix. Serve with the aioli and lime wedges.
