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About this recipe

✨

Recipe highlight

Why you’ll love it

Crispy squid, sizzling garlic, fresh chili, and a fragrant peppery finish make this Chinese seafood classic bold, golden, and impossible to stop eating. 🥢

Ingredients

• Squid 🦑
• 🦑 600 g cleaned squid tubes and tentacles, sliced into rings (1.3 lb)
• 🧂 3 g fine salt (½ tsp / 0.1 oz)
• ⚪ 2 g white pepper (½ tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🍶 15 ml Shaoxing wine (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)
• 🥚 1 egg white egg
• 🌽 70 g cornstarch (½ cup / 2.5 oz)
• 🌾 30 g rice flour (¼ cup / 1 oz) gluten
• Salt and pepper seasoning 🌶️
• 🧂 4 g fine salt (¾ tsp / 0.14 oz)
• ⚪ 3 g white pepper (¾ tsp / 0.1 oz)
• 🌶️ 2 g chili flakes (½ tsp / 0.07 oz)
• ⭐ 1 g five-spice powder, optional (¼ tsp / 0.03 oz)
• Aromatics 🧄
• 🧄 18 g garlic, finely chopped (4 cloves / 0.63 oz)
• 🌶️ 20 g red chili, finely sliced (2 small chilies / 0.7 oz)
• 🧅 40 g spring onion, finely sliced (½ cup / 1.4 oz)
• 🫚 8 g fresh ginger, finely minced (2 tsp / 0.28 oz)
• For frying 🔥
• 🌻 600 ml neutral oil, for frying (2½ cups / 20 fl oz)
• 🍋 1 lime or lemon, cut into wedges
• 🌿 10 g cilantro, optional (⅓ cup / 0.35 oz)

Preparation

• 1 Dry the squid 🦑 Pat the squid very dry with kitchen paper. This step matters because excess moisture makes the coating heavy and stops the squid from frying crisp. ✨
• 2 Season the squid 🥢 Toss the squid with salt, white pepper, Shaoxing wine, and egg white. Mix for 30 sec until lightly coated, then let it rest for 10 min while you prepare the seasoning and aromatics. 🦑
• 3 Mix the pepper seasoning 🌶️ In a small bowl, combine the salt, white pepper, chili flakes, and five-spice powder if using. Keep it ready beside the stove because the final toss happens quickly. ✨
• 4 Coat for crispness 🌽 Mix the cornstarch and rice flour in a wide bowl. Add the squid and toss until every piece is lightly coated. Shake off excess flour so the crust stays delicate rather than thick. 🥢
• 5 Fry the squid 🔥 Heat the oil to 180°C (356°F). Fry the squid in small batches for 90 sec to 2 min until pale golden, crisp, and just cooked. Do not overcrowd the pan. Drain on a rack. 🦑
• 6 Cook the aromatics 🧄 In a clean wok or skillet, add 15 ml of the hot frying oil (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz). Stir-fry garlic, ginger, chili, and spring onion for 45–60 sec until fragrant but not burned. 🌶️
• 7 Toss and serve ✨ Add the fried squid to the wok, sprinkle over the salt and pepper seasoning, and toss for 30 sec until everything is glossy, fragrant, and evenly coated. Serve immediately with lime or lemon wedges and cilantro if using. 🥢

Timing details

Nutrition

Estimated values per serving.

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