Squid tempura and Vietnamese dipping sauce
By Roy Brett of Ondine
Squid tempura is our most popular starter at Ondine … as well as a personal favourite of mine.
It came about by taking a delicious Vietnamese dipping sauce, which I borrowed from my days in Cornwall working with Rick and Jill Stein. I then added the light tempura batter with the medicinal notes from the Szechuan pepper, which really lifts the squid.
We also have this dish on the menu at The Fishmarket, down at Newhaven Harbour. I think the smell of the fresh, salty sea air adds a special twist to the taste, but you’ll need your hat and scarf on to enjoy it al fresco now the temperature has dipped.
For more information, see: www.ondinerestaurant.co.uk
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the dipping sauce:
100ml fish sauce
100g palm sugar
50ml rice wine vinegar
100ml lime juice
10g garlic, finely chopped
10g green chilli, finely chopped
10g ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp corn flour
Water
For the crispy batter:
70g corn flour
30g plain flour
100ml ice cold sparkling water
5 ice cubes, crushed
Pinch Szechuan pepper
Pinch Maldon sea salt
Rapeseed oil for deep-frying
For the squid:
2 squid, washed and cleaned
1 green chilli, sliced into rings
1 banana shallot, sliced into rings
For the garnish:
1 lime, cut into wedges
METHOD
1 First, make the dipping sauce. Bring together the fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, vinegar and 100ml water in a saucepan and bring to boil. Mix the corn flour into a paste with a little water and then add to the pan. As the mixture starts to cool down, add the chillies, ginger and garlic and mix well then set aside.
2 Next, make the batter. Mix the flours and the salt and pepper together. Add the sparkling water and crushed ice cubes and mix well until combined.
3 Heat the oil in a pan to 180°C. Dip the squid and the chilli into the batter along with the shallots. Fry in the oil until crisp. Once cooked, carefully shake off any excess oil before lying on a drying cloth or kitchen paper. Season well with salt and pepper.
4 To serve, pour a little dipping sauce into a pretty little pot and then place the squid around it. Garnish the plate with the chilli and shallot rings and finish with a wedge of lime.
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