Twice-Cooked Squid with Garlic, Green Chilli & Black Bean
In many parts of China and Hong Kong, cuttlefish are actually more popular than squid and, as cuttlefish have much thicker meat than squid, the double-cooking process detailed here is essential. I find that large squid also benefit from this pre-poaching – it softens the squid significantly, allowing the pieces to take in more flavour when stir-fried in the savoury sauce.
Ingredients
300g large squid tubes, cleaned, washed and sliced open to lay flat
2 teaspoons cornflour
½ teaspoon preserved black beans
3 garlic cloves
a thumb-size piece of ginger
a pinch of salt
3 spring onions, plus extra to garnish
½ red onion
2 large green chillies
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
The Sauce
2 tbsp black bean garlic sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
1 teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
Method
Preparation:
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 dain 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 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 large dices. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
Build your WOK CLOCK: place the red onion at 12 o’clock, then arrange the spring onions, garlic and bean mixture, chillies, squid and sauce bowl clockwise around the plate.
Cooking:
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok to a high heat until smoking hot, then add the onions and stir fry for 1 minute seconds until slightly softened.
Add the spring onions, ginger and garlic 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 ½ 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. Return the vegetables to the wok, pour over the sauce and bring to a vigorous boil.
Serve with freshly sliced spring onion to garnish.
300g large squid tubes, cleaned, washed and sliced open to lay flat
2 teaspoons cornflour
½ teaspoon preserved black beans
3 garlic cloves
a thumb-size piece of ginger
a pinch of salt
3 spring onions, plus extra to garnish
½ red onion
2 large green chillies
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
The Sauce
2 tbsp black bean garlic sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
1 teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
Preparation:
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 dain 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 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 large dices. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
Build your WOK CLOCK: place the red onion at 12 o’clock, then arrange the spring onions, garlic and bean mixture, chillies, squid and sauce bowl clockwise around the plate.
Cooking:
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok to a high heat until smoking hot, then add the onions and stir fry for 1 minute seconds until slightly softened.
Add the spring onions, ginger and garlic 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 ½ 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. Return the vegetables to the wok, pour over the sauce and bring to a vigorous boil.
Serve with freshly sliced spring onion to garnish.