C H E F !
sqUId yOU nOT
SALT AND PEPPER SQUID
FOUNDER OF GIGGLING SQUID PRANEE LAURILLARD REVEALS THE RECIPE FOR ONE OF HER RESTAURANT’S MOST POPULAR DISHES. EVEN BETTER, IT FEATURES THIS MONTH’S HERO INGREDIENT…
SERVES 2
“In this dish, tender squid is lightly coated in flour, then deep fried until fluffy,” Pranee explains. “The moreish flavour comes from a scattering of salt, ground black pepper, spring onions and sliced chilli.” Back in 2008, Thai-born Pranee Laurillard was sat in the basement of a tiny fisherman’s cottage (which is, in fact, now the Brighton Giggling Squid restaurant), with a dream of replicating the food and flavours of her home country in the UK. She started out with a straightforward menu of Thai small plates – the idea being to create simple, rustic, fresh food to share, as she’d loved to do in Thailand. Despite her having no money, a leaky roof, dodgy wiring and a pile of washing up that climbed to the ceiling, her menu was a massive hit – and she now has several branches of her restaurant across the country, including one in Clifton, Bristol and the brand new Bath site. GIGGLING SQUID, Bluecoat House, Saw Close, Bath BA1 1EY; gigglingsquid.com
INGREDIENTS For the squid seasoning: ½ tsp fine white pepper ½ tbsp sugar ½ tsp salt ½ tbsp chicken powder For the batter: 100g self-raising flour pinch of sugar pinch of salt 300ml water 1 tsp vegetable oil For the squid: 500ml vegetable or groundnut oil (or enough to be about 1cm deep in a frying pan) 500g fresh squid, sliced or cut into rings (ask your fishmonger to prepare it for you) 2 tbsp self-raising flour 1 tbsp red chilli, sliced (remove the seeds if you don’t like heat) 1 tbsp spring onion, sliced Sriracha sauce, to serve METHOD 1 Place all the squid seasoning ingredients into a bowl and mix. Easy! Now set to one side. 2 To create the batter, mix the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Pour over the water and vegetable oil. Mix thoroughly again, and set aside. 3 Pour the vegetable oil in a frying pan over a high heat. 4 Dip the squid in the batter so it’s completely coated, and then roll in the flour. Then, when the oil is hot (not quite smoking, but almost), very carefully drop in the squid, piece by piece, and cook until golden (approx. 3 minutes). 5 Once cooked, place the battered squid into a bowl lined with a paper towel, and leave to sit for 1 minute. 6 Add the squid seasoning, sliced red chilli and sliced spring onion. Toss together and serve with the Sriracha.
a Grape match! Howard Park Mount Barker Riesling 2014 £15.95, Great Western Wine Fresh and crispy, yet with spice, this recipe needs a bright, aromatic white to match. This one is bursting with the zestiest lime and passion fruit character, with hints of acacia honey, and scents of flowers to cut through the richness of the batter and to play along with the heat of the spice.
37
CRUMBSMAG.COM