Grilled squid in spicy sauce

Indulge in this super zingy full flavoured dish that will blow your mind. It's juicy, spicy and full of simple staple ingredients that embodies home cooking. Seafood can seem intimidating for some but i think starting off with squid tubes is the best way to start. It's easy to prepare and quite available in most stores. In this recipe, I used frozen and pre-prepped squid tubes; if you can get hold of fresh and whole squid, this would just be even better. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Serves 1 - 2

1. Squid tubes (defrosted)

2. 1 whole lemon cut into 1/4

3. 1/2 lime

4. 1 Shallot

5. 2-3 cloves of garlic

6. 2 large red chillies

7. 2 Thai/ birds eye chillies

8. 2 spring onions

9. 1 tbsp butter

10. Couple sprigs fresh coriander

Sauces and Seasoning

1. garlic powder

2. salt

3. black pepper

4. MSG

5. fish/squid sauce

6. Tauco (soy bean paste)

7. Soy sauce

8. 60-80ml Hot Water

Method

1. Score a few lines down one side of your squids with a sharp knife. Squeeze half a lemon on each squid tubes and insert the squeezed lemon remains inside the tubes. Now, season the squid with salt, garlic powder and black pepper.

2. Grill the squid in a hot skillet for around 2-3 mins or until it develops deep charred marks (see video for reference). Once done, turn the heat off and leave the squid in the pan ready for the next step.

3. Prep your aromatics by chopping up the shallots, garlic, chillies, lime, and coriander.

4. In a deep hot oiled pan, melt the butter then add the shallots, garlic and chillies. Sweat these in the pan for around 1 minute or until you see the shallots have softened. Add all of your sauces and seasonings to taste, before adding your water. Now, add the remaining ingredients, coriander, lime and spring onions.

5. Let the sauce simmer for about 30 seconds and then add in your grilled squid and let it cook in the sauce for 3-4 mins. Once the sauce has reduced to your liking, turn off the heat and serve.

NOTES:

This recipe is a quick one so make sure you are cooking on high heat to maintain tenderness since the cook time is short.