Crispy Salt & Pepper Squid

Name: Cumi Garam & Lada Renyah
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 700 g / 1.4 lb medium whole baby squid; 500 g / 1 lb squid tubes (, already cleaned); 2/3 cup cornflour / cornstarch; 1/3 cup plain / all-purpose flour; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt; 1/4 tsp white pepper powder; 2/3 cup cold tap water; 3 – 4 cups vegetable or canola oil ((~4cm / 1.5" depth in a pot)); Cooking / kosher salt ( - just a pinch!); White pepper powder; 1/2 cup whole egg mayonnaise ( or kewpie); 1/2 tsp finely grated garlic

Recipe video above. It only took us 3 years to crack the ultimate, truly crispy Salt and Pepper Squid! Hand on heart, this is crispier than any squid I've had in a restaurant, ever. The fry batter is light, super crunchy and not greasy at all. In fact, it's so crispy it stays crispy even whe

⏱️ 15 min 🔪 Prep: 15 min 📊 Easy ⭐ 4.8 (25) 👁️ 10 views

👨‍🍳 Start Cooking

Foto: RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

3 servings

700 g / 1.4 lb medium whole baby squid
500 g / 1 lb squid tubes (, already cleaned)
2/3 cup cornflour / cornstarch
1/3 cup plain / all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
1/4 tsp white pepper powder
2/3 cup cold tap water
3 – 4 cups vegetable or canola oil ((~4cm / 1.5" depth in a pot))
Cooking / kosher salt ( - just a pinch!)
White pepper powder
1/2 cup whole egg mayonnaise ( or kewpie)
1/2 tsp finely grated garlic

Steps

Cut one side of the squid tube to lay it out in one flat piece. Pat both sides dry with a paper towel.
Lightly score the inside with a small sharp knife in 1.5 cm / 0.6" diamonds (don't cut all the way through). (Note 3)
Cut the squid into pieces 5 x 2cm (2 x 1") rectangles (approximately).
Mix the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside for at least 20 minutes (up to 24 hours).
Batter - Whisk the flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Then whisk in water until smooth. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. (Note 4)
Heat oil - Fill small heavy based pot or large saucepan with 4cm / 1.5" of oil. Heat to 160°C/320°F on medium high heat. (I use a Thermapen to check the temp)
Give the batter a quick whisk then add all the squid in a toss to coat. (Including tentacles if using baby squid - it's the crunchiest!)
Batter - Cook the squid in 3 batches. Pick up some squid and let the excess batter to drip off. Careful place in the oil. Use chopsticks to seperate the pieces that stick together.
Fry baby squid for 2 minutes or the regular squid tubes for 3 minutes until light golden. Use a spider or slotted spoon to remove the squid on a paper towel lined tray.
Repeat - Fry remaining squid, making sure the oil comes back to temperature before cooking batches 2 and 3.
Increase oil temp - Increase the stove to high and bring the the oil up to 200°C/390°F.
Bowl - Line a large mixing bowl with double layer of paper towels.
Fry - Place half of the squid in the oil (it's ok to crowd the pot). Cook for 1 1/2 minutes, until it becomes deep golden and crispy. Remove into the bowl. Bring the oil back up to 200°C/390°F then fry the remaining squid.
Season - Remove paper towel. Taste first then sprinkle lightly with as much salt and pepper as you want (the batter has salt in it already). Toss well.
Pour into a serving bowl and serve with aioli! This batter is so good, it will stay crispy even once the squid has gone cold.