Salt & pepper squid Recipe

Start by making the dipping sauce: combine the sliced green chilli, chopped red chilli, red onion, cucumber, rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon caster sugar, and 2 tsp fish sauce in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then set it aside. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the 85g corn flour, 85g plain flour, 2 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp Szechuan peppercorns, and 2 tsp sea salt. Have a tray lined with kitchen paper ready for draining, and a little extra salt for sprinkling.

Heat about 7cm of sunflower oil in a deep fryer, wok, or deep pan to 180°C. If you don't have a thermometer, you can test the oil with a cube of bread; it should turn golden in about 20 seconds. Once the oil is hot, coat the 400g squid pieces well in the prepared flour mixture. Fry the squid in batches for about 2 minutes per batch, or until they're crisp and lightly golden. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried squid to the paper-lined tray, letting any excess oil drain, then sprinkle with a little more salt. Serve the squid immediately, scattered with sliced spring onions and green chilli, with the dipping sauce on the side.