Salt and Pepper Calamari

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Crisp cornstarch-coated squid tossed in a screaming-hot wok with fried garlic, sliced chili, scallion and a heavy hand of white pepper. No batter, no beer, no flour — just cornstarch, which is exactly why it shatters like the version at your favorite Cantonese spot. Comes together in about 30 minutes and tastes better than the $22 restaurant plate.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb cleaned squid, bodies and tentacles
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine

• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp ground white pepper

• 1 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

• 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 red Fresno or jalapeño chilies, thinly sliced
• 1 small green bell pepper or shishito peppers, thinly sliced
• 4 scallions, sliced thin on the bias
• 1 tbsp neutral oil

• 6 cups peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Prep the squid: slice the bodies crosswise into 1/2-inch rings and cut any large tentacle clusters in half. Pat everything as dry as you can with paper towels, then soak in the milk with 1 teaspoon kosher salt for 15 minutes — this tenderizes and pulls out any hint of iodine flavor.
2. Drain the squid in a colander, discard the milk, and blot the rings very dry on a fresh layer of paper towels. Toss with the Shaoxing wine and let sit 2 minutes; wet-but-not-dripping is what you want so the cornstarch grabs.
3. Make the salt and pepper mix: stir together 1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper, 1 teaspoon sea salt, the sugar and five-spice in a small bowl. Set beside the stove — this goes on at the very end.
4. In a wide bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 1 teaspoon sea salt and 1 teaspoon white pepper. Working in batches, toss the squid in the cornstarch, pressing so every surface is chalky-white, then shake off the excess in a sieve and lay the pieces on a rack. Use cornstarch only — no flour, no egg, no batter. That is the whole trick.
5. Pour the frying oil into a wok or heavy 4-quart pot to a depth of about 2 inches and heat to 375°F on a clip-on thermometer. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan nearby.
6. Fry the squid in 3 or 4 small batches, 60 to 90 seconds per batch, until the coating is pale gold and audibly crisp. Do not crowd the pot and do not overcook — squid turns rubbery past 2 minutes. Lift out with a spider or slotted spoon onto the rack. Let the oil return to 375°F between batches.
7. Optional but worth it: once all batches are done, refry everything together for 30 seconds at 385°F. This drives out surface moisture and gives you that glassy takeout crunch.
8. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the wok (or wipe it out and add 1 tablespoon fresh oil). Over medium heat, add the garlic and fry, stirring constantly, for 30 to 45 seconds until it just turns straw-colored and smells nutty — pull it back from the heat the second it starts to darken.
9. Raise the heat to high, add the sliced chilies, green pepper and scallion whites, and stir-fry hard for 45 seconds until the peppers blister at the edges but still snap.
10. Add the fried squid to the wok, sprinkle the salt and pepper mix over the top, and toss aggressively for 20 to 30 seconds — just long enough to coat everything. Kill the heat, add the scallion greens, give it one more toss, and slide onto a platter.
11. Serve immediately with lemon wedges. Crispness starts fading after about 5 minutes, so this is a stand-at-the-counter dish.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Char-Grilled Oysters with Garlic-Worcestershire Butter

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem