Crunchy Fried Squid Salad

Name: Crunchy Fried Squid Salad
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Cuisine: Asia
Ingredients: ½ fresh red Thai chile, stemmed, seeded, and diced; ½ cup cashews, toasted and slightly crushed; Salt; 4 cups frisée, roughly chopped; Corn or vegetable oil for deep-frying; One 1-inch piece young ginger, minced; 1 tablespoon grape seed, corn, or other neutral oil; ½ teaspoon sugar; 3½ tablespoons rice vinegar; ¾ teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; 1 small ripe papaya, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes; 1 tablespoon palm sugar; 1 cup rice or all-purpose flour; 4 fresh water chestnuts, peeled and cut into ¼-inch slices; 10 ounces baby squid, bodies cut into ½-inch rings crosswise and tentacles separated; 2½ tablespoons fresh lime juice; 1½ teaspoons rice vinegar; 1 tablespoon chili oil, preferably homemade; 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 2 shallots, thinly sliced; ½ small carrot, diced; ½ small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced

Preparation info

Makes
4
servings

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges

By Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Published 2007

About

This variation on calamari is my new favorite way of preparing squid. The rice flour makes the batter extra crisp and slightly puffy. The spicy sour dressing accentuates the powerful salad. Everything is crispy, crunchy, and just perfect.

Ingredients

Spicy Sour Dressing

1 tablespoon grape seed, corn, or other neutral oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced<

Method

To make the dressing: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the shallots, carrot, pepper, and chile. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes.
Add the lime juice, vinegar, salt, and sugars. Turn the heat t