Kitchen Recipe Collection
Salt and Pepper Squid (Jiao Yan You Yu)
A Cantonese seafood classic. Tender pieces of scored squid deep-fried in an impossibly light, crispy batter and tossed with toasted salt, Sichuan pepper, chilies, and garlic.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 500g large squid tubes, cleaned and opened flat
- 1 cup potato starch or sweet potato starch
- 1 egg white
- Oil for deep frying
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 red long chili, thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeño or green chili, thinly sliced
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp sugar
Equipment
- Wok
- Small dry skillet
- Strainer
Instructions
- 1
Toast Spice Mix
In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the Sichuan peppercorns and sea salt until fragrant and slightly yellow (about 3 minutes). Grind to a fine powder and mix with white pepper and sugar.
- 2
Score Squid
Lay the squid tubes flat. Use a sharp knife to score the inside surface in a crosshatch (diamond) pattern, cutting halfway through the flesh.
- 3
Cut Squid
Cut the scored squid into 2-inch squares. When cooked, they will curl up into beautiful pinecone shapes.
- 4
Dry Squid
Pat the squid pieces completely dry with paper towels. Mix them with the egg white.
- 5
Coat in Starch
Toss the squid thoroughly in the potato starch until generously coated.
- 6
Heat Oil
Heat oil in a wok to 375°F (190°C).
- 7
Deep Fry
Fry the squid in batches. They cook extremely fast. Fry for exactly 1 minute until they curl up and turn golden. Remove and drain.
- 8
Clear Wok
Drain all the frying oil, leaving just a teaspoon in the wok. Wipe any burnt starch out.
- 9
Fry Aromatics
Over medium heat, sauté the minced garlic, red chilies, green chilies, and scallions until the garlic is golden and crispy.
- 10
Toss Squid
Add the fried squid back into the wok with the aromatics.
- 11
Season
Liberally sprinkle the toasted salt and pepper mixture over the squid while tossing rapidly.
- 12
Serve
Serve immediately while piping hot and crispy.
Cooking Tips
- You must score the INSIDE of the squid tube. If you score the outside, it will curl the wrong way and won't form the pinecone shape.
- Do not overcook the squid, or it will turn into rubber. 1 minute in hot oil is all it takes.
Variations
- Salt and Pepper Tofu: Apply the exact same batter, frying technique, and spice mix to cubes of firm tofu.
Nutrition Estimate
290 calories · 20g protein · 18g carbs · 15g fat · 1g fiber per serving
