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Szechuan Pepper Squid

Name: Szechuan Pepper Squid
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 500 g squid (get your fishmonger to clean it or buy it frozen); 100 g cornflour; 3 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns; ½ lemon (juice only); 1 tsp MSG powder (fine powder); Coriander leaf (to garnish); 1 red chilli (finley sliced to garnish); 1 litre rapeseed oil (for deep frying)

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We love squid. It's such a great ingredient to have as a starter. This version though is epic, you have to try it.

I was lucky enough to eat at High Grange Devon, where Luke and Sara run a superb outdoor cookery school. I went for a lunch with James Whetlor, the author of the Cooking on the Big Green Egg. Luke served a version of this squid recipe, and while he didn't share the recipe, this is my take on it. He did let on that it contained MSG.

Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Total Time 15

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients Equipment Method Video

Ingredients

500 g squid get your fishmonger to clean it or buy it frozen
100 g cornflour
3 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns
½ lemon juice only
1 tsp MSG powder fine powder
Coriander leaf to garnish
1 red chilli finley sliced to garnish
1 litre rapeseed oil for deep frying

Equipment

Grill Temperature

Surfaces

Method

Set up your Egg for a direct cook at about 160°C with your EGGspander basket and wok. Fill the wok with about 4cm deep of oil and allow to warm. It should reach 220°C even though your Egg is only set to 160°C as the bottom of the wok is right by the fire.
Cut open your squid hoods and score the inside with a criss-cross pattern. You're cutting only halfway through the squid.
Portion all your squid into bite-size pieces. Do the same with the tentacles (you may leave these whole).
Drop your squid into the cornflour and toss to coat. Knock off any excess.
Deep fry the squid for about 3 minutes. It's best to do this in batches so as not to crowd the pan.
When cooked allow to drain on some kitchen towel.
In a mortar and pestle, roughly grind your Szechuan peppercorns.
Now stir the MSG and peppercorns through your squid.
Drizzle with the lemon and dress with the chilli and coriander.