Ginger squid salad

Vietnamese scoop this up with banh da, a toasted rice cracker - a poppadum lookalike - that puffs out when held over hot coals. Remember to soak the onion, as unsoaked raw onion will be way too powerful and you’ll end up in tears. The secret to getting shallots crisp is to slice them well beforehand and then leave them spread out to dry a little, then slow-fry them with a dash of salt. Handy bags of ready-made crispy shallots can be bought from Oriental stores.