Recipe: Hot butter squid from Hoppers

This could well be one of the most addictive things you’ve ever eaten.

 

This could well be one of the most addictive things you’ve ever eaten. It’s essentially fried squid taken to the next level, and it’s not hard to see why this is one of Sri Lanka’s favourite snacks. Like fritters or tempura, this dish is best eaten just out of the fryer, so make sure you have hot plates ready and don’t wait around too long.

 

Serves 4 as a starter

• 250g squid, cleaned well and cut into 1cm (½in) rings
• ½tsp ground turmeric
• 1tsp black peppercorns, crushed
• ¼ tsp salt
• 30g unsalted butter
• ¾tbs minced garlic
• ¾tbs minced ginger
• 165g red onion (approx 1 medium onion), cut into 5mm thick slices
• 1 banana pepper or green pepper, deseeded and cut into 5mm thick strips
• 2tsp white wine vinegar
• 1tsp chilli paste (see below)
• 70g cornflour (cornstarch)
• 60g self-raising flour
• 200ml soda water
• Oil, for deep-frying
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 2 spring onions finely chopped

 

Combine the squid with the turmeric, ¼tsp black peppercorns and ¼tsp salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 

Place a small pan over a medium heat and add the butter. Once melted, add the garlic and ginger and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the onion and banana chilli and continue to cook until light brown and just softened, about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar, chilli paste, a large pinch of salt and the remaining crushed black peppercorns and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.

 

Preheat a deep pan or wok over a high heat with oil for deep-frying. Meanwhile, combine the cornflour, self-raising flour, a large pinch of salt and the soda water to form a thin batter. Dip the squid into the batter and fry for 60-90 seconds, until the batter is crisp and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. After about 30 seconds, transfer to the pan with the butter sauce, toss well to coat and add the green chillies, cooking over medium heat for 1 minute. Garnish with spring onions and serve immediately.

 

Chilli paste

 

Think of this as the Sri Lankan equivalent of an addictively spicy Chinese-style chilli crisp or chilli oil. Often eaten alongside rice and curry or kothus, this is a condiment you’ll want to make in large batches to give as gifts and stock up on. If my personal experience is anything to go by, you will end up eating it all the time, with everything!

 

Beware when picking your crushed chillies as some of these are mighty-hot. I’ve had some very painful experiences having used a deceptively innocent looking crushed chilli. This condiment requires a whole load of chilli, so reducing the quantity can alter the flavour and texture of the dish. If you can’t find a chilli to match your heat levels, use Sichuan dried chillies or flakes, or mild Italian chilli flakes. Remember though that time will mellow the intense heat of the chilli, so don’t be too timid.

 

Makes about 450g

• 250ml vegetable oil
• 50g red onions (approx 1 small onion), finely sliced
• 15g ginger, roughly chopped
• 15g garlic, roughly chopped
• 40g dried shrimps
• 1tbs Maldive fish flakes
• 75g dried red chilli flakes
• 1tbs sugar, plus extra to taste
• 2tbs soy sauce
• ½ tsp salt

 

Heat 125ml of the oil in a small wok or pan over a medium heat.

 

Add the onions and fry until crisp and brown, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reduce the heat to low, add the ginger and garlic to the oil and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain with the onions. Finally, add the shrimps and Maldive fish flakes and fry for 5 seconds more, then remove and drain.

 

Once all the fried ingredients have cooled to room temperature, transfer to a blender and pulse a few times to make a coarse paste. If you prefer the end result to be chunky, you can skip this step and leave the aromatics whole.

 

Add the remaining 125ml oil to the pan. Add the paste back to the pan along with the chilli flakes and cook well for 30 seconds, being careful not to burn the delicate chilli flakes as they will turn bitter. Finally add the sugar, soy sauce and salt, mix well and taste. Adjust the levels of sugar and soy to your taste. Store in an airtight jar in the fridge.

 

Taken from Hoppers: The Cookbook by Karan Gokani (Quadrille, £30)