Twice-Cooked Squid

• 500g squid, cleaned and quills removed (get your fishmonger to do this for you)
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 1 teaspoon preserved black beans
• 3 garlic cloves
• a small knob of ginger
• a pinch of salt
• 3 spring onions, plus extra to garnish
• 1 red onion
• 2 large fresh green chillies
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

THE SAUCE

• ½ tablespoon light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar

• Wash the squid tubes and slice them open to lay them flat. Run the tip of your knife along the squid pieces in a diagonal criss-cross pattern (this will help the squid curl up nicely when cooking).

• Add the prepared squid to a pan of boiling water, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook over a low heat for 45 minutes. Remove the squid from the water with a slotted spoon and cool under cold running water, then drain and place in a bowl with the cornflour and mix together well.

• Give the black beans a quick rinse under cold water, then tip them into a small bowl. Finely chop the garlic and ginger and add them to the black beans with a pinch of salt. Lightly crush the ingredients together with the back of a teaspoon.

• Cut the spring onions into rough chunks and the red onion and green chillies into 1cm dice. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.

BUILD YOUR WOK CLOCK: place the diced red onion at 12 o’clock, then arrange the spring onions, garlic and bean mixture, chillies, squid and sauce bowl clockwise around the plate.

• Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok over a high heat until smoking-hot, then add the onion and cook for 1 minute until slightly softened.

• Add the spring onions and bean mixture and stir-fry for a further 30 seconds, then add the green chillies and fry for 30 seconds more, maintaining a high heat all the time. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.

• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok and bring it back to a high heat. Once smoking-hot, add the squid and flash-fry for 30 seconds to sear the squid all over. Return the vegetables to the wok, pour over the sauce and bring to a vigorous boil. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly and is just coating the squid and vegetables.

• Serve with freshly sliced spring onion to garnish.