Fried Squid with Steamed Vegetable Risotto

Name: Fried Squid with Steamed Vegetable Risotto
Yield: Serves 4, as a main course, or 6–8, as part of a Chinese meal
Ingredients: 1 tbsp sesame oil; 2 tbsp rice wine or amontillado sherry; 2 tbsp rice wine or amontillado sherry; 1 tbsp groundnut (peanut) oil; 1 tbsp groundnut (peanut) oil; 1 tbsp groundnut (peanut) oil; 3 spring onions, trimmed and cut into 1 in / 2.5 cm lengths, and then into shreds; 1 in / 2.5 cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled, sliced and shredded; 1 tbsp concentrated fish stock or oyster sauce; 1 tbsp concentrated fish stock or oyster sauce; 6 in / 15 cm piece of mooli (white radish); 6 in / 15 cm piece of mooli (white radish); 4 squid, about 6–8 in / 15–20.5 cm. long; 2 celery stalks; 4 oz / 110 g celeriac; 1 parsnip; 2 long, straight carrots; 2 tbsp soy sauce; freshly ground black pepper; salt; 2 leeks

Preparation info

Serves
4
, as a main course

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Times Cookbook

By Frances Bissell

Published 1995

About

One of the things that I have learned from Chinese cooks is how to cut squid so that it will curl most decoratively when cooked. But it is not only for decoration. Cutting it in the way I describe below exposes more surface area to the heat, so that it cooks more quickly and thus stays tender.

Ingredients

4 squid, about 6–8 in / 15–20.5 cm. long
6 in /

Fish course
Pescatarian

Method

Prepare the squid as described. Put the tentacles and wings on one side. Cut open the bodies, and then cut in two down the middle. Lightly score the flesh with a sharp knife in straight lines about ¼ in / 0.5