Serves 4

Ingredients

• 500g (cleaned weight) medium-size Squid
• 2 tsp white peppercorns
• 4 tsp flaky sea salt
• 100g plain flour
• ground nut or vegetable oil for frying

For the chilli dressing:

• 1 long dried chilli, roasted and de-seeded
• 1 tbsp palm sugar or light muscovado sugar
• juice of 1 lime
• 50ml fish sauce

Method

1. Cut the squid into large pieces , then score a criss-cross diamond pattern into the flesh without cutting all the way through. To make the chilli dressing grind the roasted chilli in a mortar and pestle then add the palm sugar. Grind again adding the lime juice and the fish sauce. Mix well and place to one side. heat oven to 180c fan or 160c/gas4 and slide a baking sheet in.
2. Grind the peppercorns and sea salt together then stir into the flour in a large bowl and set to one side. Heat a few cms of oil in a wok or deep frying pan.
3. Place the wok over a high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, it is ready to use. Toss the Squid in the seasoned flour so that it is coated well.
4. Drop a quarter of the Squid into the oil and fry for about 1 minute. The Squid should curl and go crisp. Lift out of the oil with a slotted spoon and keep warm in the oven on the baking sheet while you cook the rest. Serve straight away with the dressing on the side.