Salt and Pepper Squid

1. 1Dry the squid pieces thoroughly between sheets of kitchen paper. This is not optional — wet squid makes the coating slide off and causes the oil to spit dangerously.
2. 2Mix the cornflour, plain flour, salt, white pepper and Sichuan pepper in a bowl. The high cornflour ratio is what gives you a crisp, light shell instead of a thick, bready one.
3. 3Heat the oil in a deep pot to 190°C. It needs to be hot: squid cooks so fast that a cooler oil means the coating is still pale by the time the squid is overdone.
4. 4Toss a handful of squid in the flour mixture, shake off every bit of excess, and lower it into the oil. Fry for 60–90 seconds, until pale gold and crisp.
5. 5Lift out onto a wire rack and repeat in small batches. Squid turns rubbery the instant it overcooks, so err on the side of pulling it early — it carries on cooking for a few seconds out of the oil.
6. 6Once all the squid is fried, carefully drop the garlic, chilli and spring onion into the oil for 15–20 seconds, until fragrant and just crisping, then scoop out immediately. They burn in seconds.
7. 7Toss the squid with the crisped aromatics and a final pinch of salt, and serve at once with lime wedges.

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