Last time, we looked at cleaning squid – or calamari – and this time I’m sharing my easy Smoky Salt & Pepper Squid, which serves 4 as a starter.
I’ve served this with a nam jim dipping sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 medium squid, cleaned
- 4 heaped tablespoons tapioca flour (you could use ordinary wheat flour, but it won’t be as light)
- 1 heaped teaspoon salt (I have used smoked salt),
- 2 tablespoons freshly cracked black pepper,
- 1 teaspoon smoked chilli/paprika
- Plain Oil for deep frying, I used basic vegetable oil
Dipping sauce
- 2 tablespoons nam jim (or you could use sweet chilli sauce)
- 1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Lime juice
Start by cleaning the squid, see this post for more details.
Mix the tapioca flour, salt, pepper and if you like, a little chilli too. I’ve used smoked salt (it’s the small brown pile below), as well as some lemon salt crystals for a bit of added crunch, but you can use good old table salt, it just won’t be as smoky. I’ve added a little smoked chilli powder too. Sweet smoked paprika will have the same effect.
Dust each piece of squid thoroughly in the flour.
Heat the oil to 180 degrees either in an electric fryer or on a stove using a thermometer, and fry in small batches for 90 seconds to 2 minutes depending on how thickly you’ve cut them. 
The beauty of a small batch is you can always try a piece to see if it’s cooked your liking, and give the next batch a little more or less time, depending on the result. Better to err on the side of caution – less cooking time initially, as over cooked squid is just nasty.
Adjust the seasoning as necessary.
Serve with dipping sauce:
Mix the nam jim, lime juice and fish sauce and taste for balance of sweet & salt.
lefthandedchopsticks 