Salt and Pepper Squid Recipe – 椒鹽魷魚

Salt and Pepper Squid, or 椒鹽魷魚 , uses Sichuan Pepper, Chili Pepper, and Black Pepper along with Salt for a delicious, deep-fried appetizer.

In Chinese ‘Salt and Pepper’ dishes, the Pepper is generally, Sichuan Pepper, or Chili Pepper, or both, rather than the more common Black Pepper, but here, all three are used to season strips of fresh Squid, that are then deep-fried to crispy goodness.

How to make Salt and Pepper Squid

First, blend the squid with the egg white, along with the garlic salt, Sichuan pepper, the rice wine and 1 tbsp. of the cornstarch. Allow this to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.

Now, blend the remaining cornstarch in a deep bowl with the black pepper and the chili pepper and set aside.

When you are ready to cook, heat deep-fry oil in a suitable pot over moderately high heat and then remove the squid from the marinade, allowing as much of the liquid component to drain away. Then, toss the squid pieces, a few at a time, with the cornstarch mixture and shake the remaining powder away.

When the oil comes up to high heat, deep-fry the squid pieces in several batches for thirty seconds to a minute per batch, using a pair of chopsticks to separate the pieces. Once done, scoop the pieces from the oil and drain on a piece of kitchen paper. Plate and serve along with an appropriate dipping sauce (soy sauce with lemon juice, or Sriracha, for example).

Your Recipe Card for 椒鹽魷魚:

Print Recipe

Salt and Pepper Squid

This Salt and Pepper Squid recipe uses Sichuan Pepper, Chili Pepper, and Black Pepper along with Salt for a delicious, deep-fried appetizer.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Marinating Time1 hour hr

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: Black Pepper, Chili, Chinese Salted Black Beans, Egg, Sichuan Pepper, Squid

Servings: 4 as an appetizer

Author: John Thompson

Ingredients

• 1 cup Squid sliced into strips;
• 1 Egg White;
• 1/3 cup Cornstarch;
• 1 tsp. Black Pepper;
• ½ tsp. ground Sichuan Pepper;
• 1 tsp. crushed Chili Pepper;
• 1 tbsp. Rice Wine;
• ½ tsp. Garlic Salt or plain salt.

Instructions

• Blend the squid with the egg white, garlic salt, Sichuan Pepper, Rice Wine and 1 tbsp. of the cornstarch. Allow this to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.
• Blend the remaining cornstarch in a deep bowl with the black pepper and the chili pepper.
• When ready to cook, remove the Squid from the egg mixture, shake off excess liquid, and coat the pieces using the seasoned cornstarch.
• Heat deep-fry oil to a high heat and deep-fry the squid pieces until golden.
• Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with a dipping sauce of choice.