Deep Fried: Salt and Pepper Squid | Submitted By: Belinda Stafurik

8 ounces calamari tubes2 tablespoons Szechwan peppercorns2 tablespoons sea salt1 cup all-purpose flour1 cup cornstarch3/4 cup peanut oilSlice the calamari tubes down one side and open them up to lay flat. Score the insides with a knife in a cross-hatch pattern. Set aside. Heat a small skillet over high heat with no oil. Add the peppercorns, and toast for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until they start to sizzle and pop. Remove them from the pan and set aside. Add the salt to the pan and cook over high heat until it has turned a gray color. Remove from the heat. Grind the salt and pepper with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder until it becomes a fine powder. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and mix with flour and cornstarch. Heat the oil in a wok or heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Place a few pieces of squid at a time into the bag and shake to coat. Shake off excess and quickly fry them in the oil until browned, turning once. Each one should take about 30 seconds. Serve and eat immediately. Amount Per Serving  Calories: 1294 | Total Fat: 83.3g | Cholesterol: 261mg

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Reviewed on Apr. 3, 2007 by kc    I had to give this a rating even though I failed to add the key ingredients because it still turned out so well. Due to grandma's inability to eat anything remotely spicy, I did not add the peppercorns or pepper. I fried the squid in a layer of vegetable oil in a pan, rather than deep frying it. My kids gobbled it up. I cut the juvenile squid into 1/2 inch rings, left the tentacles as is, and tossed the whole thing into the mix of cornstarch, flour, and salt, which was in a ziplock bag. After thoroughly shaking to coat everything, I poured the whole thing into a sieve and shook it until all the excess coating came off, sort of like panning for gold. Then I dumped the whole thing into the pan. I practically stir fried the squid, but the coating still stuck. Then I placed the oily rings between paper towels. The oil soaked up four layers of Bounty paper towels, even though it didn't look very greasy. I will definitely be making this again. Maybe it turned out so tender because the squid was so young--the bodies were no more than 5 inches long. I can't wait to cook this without Grandma around so I can add some spices. Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
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