Squid Sautéed with Garlic, Chilli & Spring Onions
COMPLIMENTARY RECIPE
“Squid is plentiful, reasonably inexpensive and can be roasted, grilled, sautéed, or stuffed and steamed. Yes, it’s very versatile, so please take advantage of it and experiment” - Chef Mark Jensen
SERVES 4, as a starter
INGREDIENTS
600 g whole squid or you could use cleaned frozen squid tubes
100 ml olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons chilli flakes
4 spring onions, finely sliced on the diagonal, reserve some for the garnish
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
METHOD
To clean the whole squid, lay it on a chopping board, insert your fingers inside the squid and pull the internal organs and legs away from the body. Use a sharp knife to cut the beak from the top of the tentacles, discarding the beak and internal organs. Use your fingers to pull the wings off the squid’s body, then proceed to remove all of its skin. Leave the skin on the tentacles. You will now have two pieces - the body and the tentacles. Wash the squid under cold running water and pat dry with paper towel.
Lay the body on a clean chopping board with the top of the squid pointing away from you. Insert the tip of a sharp knife into the top of the fine line that runs along the side of the squid. Cut down to the bottom, then open the body up as you would a book. Working from the top right to the bottom left of the squid, score the squid on a 45 degree angle, making sure you don’t cut right through the flesh. Then similarly, work from the top left to the bottom right, to form a diamond pattern of cuts across the squid. Cut the squid vertically in half, then turn the pieces so the top and the bottom face left and right. Cut the body into 2 cm wide pieces and cut the tentacles into 4 cm lengths.
Place a large frying or wok over high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the squid. Move it around the pan with a wooden spoon for 1 minute, then add the garlic, chilli flakes and spring onions. Continue to move the squid around the pan for about 3 minutes until it is cooked. Add the lemon or lime juice and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with the reserved spring onion and serve.