Salt-and-pepper squid

Pair this recipe with any good dry-style sparkling like the Croser Brut NV.

Serves 4

Cooking Time Prep time 1 hour, cook 10 mins

Ingredients

For deep-frying: vegetable oil
2 tsp fish sauce
1 tbsp cornflour, to bind
500 gm (about 6) baby or bottle squid tubes, scored in a 5cm-crisscross pattern

To serve: fried golden shallots and garlic, and a lime cheek

Sichuan flour mix
10 gm (1 tbsp) Sichuan peppercorns
100 gm (2/3 cup) cornflour

Method

1. For Sichuan flour mix, toast peppercorns in a frying pan over medium heat for 2 minutes or until aromatic, then finely grind using a mortar and pestle. Sift through a fine sieve, discarding husks. Combine pepper, cornflour and 3 tsp fine sea salt in a bowl. Check seasoning and adjust as necessary.

2. Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large wok to 180C. Whisk fish sauce, cornflour and 1/3 cup cold water in a bowl to combine, add squid and mix to coat thoroughly, then drain well. Set aside 2 tbsp flour mix and toss squid lightly in remaining flour, shaking off excess, then deep-fry, in batches, for 2 minutes or until golden. 4 To serve, dust squid with reserved flour mix and arrange on a plate. Serve, scattered with fried shallot and garlic and lime cheeks to the side.

RECIPE Neil Perry PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Chen STYLING Emma Knowles