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Salt and Pepper Squid
5 from 27 votes

Salt and Pepper Squid

Salt and Pepper Squid features tender squid rings coated in a light, crisp batter made from a mix of flours and an optional custard powder for added color and flavor. The squid is briefly blanched in boiling water to help the batter adhere, then deep-fried until golden and crunchy. A stir-fry of aromatic shallots, chili peppers, and green onions seasoned with salt and pepper is tossed with the squid at the end, adding flavor and texture contrasts. This preparation yields a crispy, flavorful dish with subtle heat that can be enjoyed as an appetizer or main course.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 482 kcal
Course: Side Dish, Main Course, Appetizer, Snacks
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Ingredients

  • 1 pound squid (Pre-cut frozen calamari)
Batter:
  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 5 tablespoons potato starch
  • ¼ cup corn starch
  • 3 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons custard powder (Optional)
  • 1 large egg (2 oz)
  • ¾ cup water
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
Seasoning squid:
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
Stir frying seasonings:
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 2 red Fresno chili peppers (2.2 oz)
  • 2 ticks green onions (2.3 oz)
  • ⅓ cup shallot 0.8 oz, fried
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Others:
Boiling water soak squid:
  • 4 cups water
Deep fry squid:
  • 3 cups vegetable oil

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Wash and cut 2 sticks of green onion (2.3 oz) into pieces.
  2. Wash and cut 2 red Fresno chili peppers into slices. Try to remove as much seed as you can, so it won't be too spicy.
  3. Put 1 cup of cake flour into a container.
  4. Put 5 tablespoons of potato starch, ¼ cup of cornstarch, 3 ¾ teaspoons of baking powder into the container. (* Highly recommend adding 2 ¼ teaspoons of custard powder. If not, it is ok. Custard powder is optional.) Then, mix it well.
  5. Crack 1 large egg (2 oz) into the flour mixture.
  6. After that, add ¾ cup of water and ⅓ cup of oil into the flour mixture.
  7. Mix it very well and smooth it out. Make sure there are no clumps.
  8. Wash and rinse the defrosted pre-cut calamari into a big bowl.
  9. Pour 4 cups of water into a pot and turn on medium high fire.
  10. When the water is boiling, pour the hot boiling water into the bowl with calamari in step 8 immediately. Let it soak for 10 seconds. (Be careful with the hot boiling water and don't soak for too long, only 10 seconds.)
  11. Then, drain the water and dry the squid on a plate with paper towels very well.
  12. Add ¼ teaspoon of salt and ⅛ teaspoon of white pepper on the plate with dry squid from step 11. Then, mix it well.
  13. After that, put the seasoned squid from step 12 into the batter mixture step 7 and mix it well. Make sure the squid are covered with batter.
  14. The following step, pour 3 cups of oil into the wok and turn on a small fire.
  15. Insert wooden chopsticks into the oil. If you see air bubbles around it, it is a good indication that the oil is hot enough for deep frying. It is around 350 F if you measure it with a thermometer.
  16. Slowly put the battered squid from step 13 into the oil and let it deep fry both sides golden brown. (* Extremely be careful when you deep fry the squid because hot oil may splash, especially when you turn and move them.)
  17. Use a strainer to take out the golden brown deep fry calamari.
  18. Continue deep fry the rest of the calamari and put them on a plate with paper towels to absorb excess oil. (* If you don’t like the stir fry seasoning part, you can stop after deep frying calamari. Only deep frying calamari tastes great too! You can dip it with Thai sweet chili, fry sauce, sweet and sour sauce or ranch dressing.)
  19. Pour 1 teaspoon of oil into the wok and turn on medium small fire.
  20. Put the cut red chili pepper from step 2 into the wok and stir fry it a little bit.
  21. After, add ⅓ cup of fried shallots (0.8 oz) into the wok. Then, stir fry them a little bit.
  22. Next, add ¼ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoons of black pepper and stir fry them a little bit.
  23. Turn off the fire, add the cut green onion from step 1 into the wok and use the remaining heat to stir fry them a little bit.
  24. Lastly, add the deep fried calamari from step 18 into the wok, toss, mix the seasoning and ready to serve.

Notes

  • Use pre-cut frozen squid rings for convenience, ensuring to soak them briefly in boiling water to help batter adhesion.
  • Dry the squid thoroughly after soaking to prevent splattering during frying.
  • Custard powder in the batter is optional, but it enhances color and lends subtle flavor.
  • Deep fry the squid in small batches at around 350°F to keep it crispy and to avoid oil temperature drops.
  • Drain fried squid on paper towels to remove excess oil before tossing with stir-fry seasonings.
  • The seasoning mix adds aroma with fried shallots and mild heat from chilies without sogginess.
  • Serve with sauces like Thai sweet chili or ranch for dipping if preferred.

Nutrition Information

Calories 482kcal (24%) Carbohydrates 30g (10%) Protein 16g (32%) Fat 33g (51%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 19g (112%) Monounsaturated Fat 8g (40%) Trans Fat 0.2g (10%) Cholesterol 212mg (71%) Sodium 259mg (11%) Potassium 584mg (12%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 98IU (2%) Vitamin C 6mg (7%) Calcium 158mg (16%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 482

% Daily Value*

Calories 482kcal 24%
Carbohydrates 30g 10%
Protein 16g 32%
Fat 33g 51%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 19g 112%
Monounsaturated Fat 8g 40%
Trans Fat 0.2g 10%
Cholesterol 212mg 71%
Sodium 259mg 11%
Potassium 584mg 12%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 98IU 2%
Vitamin C 6mg 7%
Calcium 158mg 16%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.