Name: Spiced squid with sweet and sour mango sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 - 6
Ingredients: 1.5 kg whole baby squid, hood and tentacles separated, cleaned; 300 gm rice flour; 15 gm ground pepperberries (see note); Finely grated zest of 2 lemons; Vegetable oil, for deep frying, plus extra for frying; 6 cm piece ginger, cut into julienne; 1 each long red and green chilli, sliced; 2 spring onions, cut into 5cm lengths; Lemon wedges, to serve; Sweet and sour mango sauce; 2 tbsp peanut oil; 3 red shallots, finely chopped; 130 ml rice wine vinegar; 100 gm caster sugar; 2 makrut lime leaves; 3 large Calypso mangoes, flesh coarsely chopped (750gm)

Spiced squid with sweet and sour mango sauce

Step away from the typical salt-and-pepper squid and embrace native Australian ingredients by using ground pepperberries to enhance this spiced squid with sweet and sour mango sauce.

Spiced squid with spring onions on a white plate with chopsticks. In the background, a green dish filled with mango sweet and sour sauce. — Photo: Ben Dearnley

Serves 4 - 6

Prep

30M

Cook

35M

Total

1H 5M

If you can exercise enough self-control to get the mango into the pot and not immediately into your mouth, then we can assure you that the accompanying sauce for this spiced squid is absolutely worth the effort. Adding to the appeal, spicy native Australian pepperberries pair perfectly with the sweet and sour mango sauce.

Ingredients

1.5 kg whole baby squid, hood and tentacles separated, cleaned

300 gm rice flour

15 gm ground pepperberries (see note)

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

Vegetable oil, for deep frying, plus extra for frying

6 cm piece ginger, cut into julienne

1 each long red and green chilli, sliced

2 spring onions, cut into 5cm lengths

Lemon wedges, to serve

Sweet and sour mango sauce

2 tbsp peanut oil

3 red shallots, finely chopped

130 ml rice wine vinegar

100 gm caster sugar

2 makrut lime leaves

3 large Calypso mangoes, flesh coarsely chopped (750gm)

Method

1.For sweet and sour mango sauce, heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and stir occasionally until softened (5 minutes). Add vinegar, sugar, lime leaves and three-quarters of mango; cook, stirring occasionally until thickened (18-20 minutes). Season and refrigerate until cooled; stir in remaining mango.

2.Meanwhile, halve squid hoods lengthways and score the inside in a criss-cross pattern, then cut into 5cm pieces. Place rice flour, pepperberries and lemon zest in a bowl; season generously with salt and stir to combine. Add hoods and tentacles; toss to coat.

3.Heat oil in a large wok to 180˚C. Shake off excess flour from squid then deep-fry, in batches, until golden just cooked (2-3 minutes); drain on paper towel.

4.Place a clean wok or frying pan over high heat. Add 2 tbsp extra oil, and when oil begins to smoke, add ginger, chillies and spring onion; stir-fry until fragrant and light golden (1-2 minutes). Add fried squid, season and toss to combine.

5.Transfer squid to a platter. Serve with mango sauce and lemon wedges.