Salt and Pepper Squid with Thai Salad and Cashew Nut Sambal

Salt and Pepper Squid with Thai Salad and Cashew Nut Sambal

 

I cannot take credit for this one. This  salt and pepper squid was on the menu at Longroom when I took over a number of years back but is easily the best salt and pepper squid I have had to date so it's my pleasure to share it wth you with some slight recipe adjustments. It's quite from the usually standard S+P squid in your local bars and restaurants.

 

Now there are different stages to this dish and one of the recipes you will need is the Thai Dressing

The ingredients immediately below titled “squid” is the quantities of each ingredient needed for 1 portion. It may not seem a lot but it is a tapas dish, you can increase it appropriately to suit. I would suggest making quite a bit of sambaland squid seasoning as it is so delicious eaten as a snack on its own and the seasoning can be used on other proteins like chicken as well.

 

Squid

100g Squid

50g Squid dust

50g Squid salad

10ml Thai dressing

50g Cashew Sambal

 

Squid dust Makes 620g

 

250g Flour

300kg Polenta

5g 5 spice

10g Szechuan pepper

50g Sea salt

10g NYC pepper

5g Turmeric

 

Squid salad Makes 1 portion

 

20g Cucumber

10g Spring onion

7g Coriander

7g Basil

7g Mint

 

Cashew sambal Makes 490g

 

50g Cashew nuts

15g White sesame seeds

15g Black sesame seeds

20ml Sweet soy

30ml Sesame oil

5ml Chilli oil

25g Desiccated coconut

25g Limes

60ml Canola oil

250g Spring onion

 

Method

Now don’t be overwhelmed by the ingredients it is for a whole dish and easier than it seems.

 

Let’s start with preparing the squid.

 

  1. 1. Buy whole squid tubes, cut them open down the side so it lays flat.
  3. 2. Remove the membrane, which is the film type material on the inside of the squid.
  5. 3. Next find two hard pieces of what seems like plastic at the thick end of the squid and remove these.
  7. 4. Now score the squid in diagonal lines then go the other way so you have criss-crosses. DO NOT CUT YET.
  9. 5. Now it’s time to cut the squid. From side to side cut strips about 3 cm wide. The reason for scoring comes apparent when cooking as the curl up and look really great on presentation.
  11. 6. Set the squid aside in the fridge until you are ready to cook.

 

Squid dust (or coating)

 

  1. 1. Simple, thoroughly combine all the ingredients

 

Right onto the sambal (You could make this first if you like)

 

  1. 1. Toast the cashew nuts, coconut and sesame seeds in a hot pan with a touch of oil.
  3. 2. When they are all browned and nicely coloured put it in a blender and pulse a couple of times
  5. 3. Add all the other ingredients except the spring onion and pulse again.
  7. 4. It should still be quite chunky and not a paste.
  9. 5. Slice the spring onion and mix this through the sambal.
  11. 6. Taste and adjust seasoning appropriately.

 

For the salad

 

  1. 1. Peel a cucumber from top the bottom with a potato peeler to get long strips.
  3. 2. Lay out the spring onion and finely slice on the angle all the way from the root (fairy bit removed) to the green.
  5. 3. Pick the basil and mint leaves and chop coriander including stalk.
  7. 4. Mix the herbs, cucumber and spring onion but do not dress yet.

 

Ready to serve

 

  1. 1. You need enough oil to deep fry. And it needs to be hot.
  3. 2. Dress the salad and put it on the plates and set the sambal on top or in a ramekin.
  5. 3. Coat the squid in the squid dusk and rapidly deep fry until it just begins to go a dark colour, drain and serve immediately, the squid should be soft and tender when eating.