Five Spice Salt and Pepper Squid Tentacles...

As a dim sum aficionado, pretty much everything appeals to me, and the splendid array is vast and glorious. We try to make it to a dim sum house every so often, but when we haven't for a while I'll think about tinkering with some dishes I'm craving from home. Well, tonight it was fried squid tentacles... Oh yes, the one specialty dish that my kids must ask for when we step foot into such eatery, and one I am more than happy to oblige. You can simply do it basic with salt and pepper, but I like to add five spice powder for savoury-sweet depth. Golden fried until fragrant and twisted like fingers beckoning, one crispy slightly chewy bite will awaken your euphoric senses and ask for more. I had just fried up a bunch of egg rolls so my frying oil was darker than I wanted resulting in brown rather than golden brown squid. The delicious taste more than made up for the aesthetics, and that's a very good thing :D

Five Spice Salt and Pepper Squid Tentacles

500g squid tentacles, fresh or frozen, thawed

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup potato starch (this makes the food crispy)
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
1 tsp. Chinese five spice

1/2 tsp. sea or kosher salt, and more at the end as a finishing salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, sliced

lime wedge
Oil for frying

Rinse the squid and slightly pat dry. Remove the head area and any hard cartilage. Slice between the tentacles.

Combine flour, starch, both peppers, and salt in a bowl. Add squid tentacles a few at a time and coat with dry ingredients. Place separately on a plate. If you toss them all together in the flour mix they tend to stick together and you lose some of the coating.

I double coated for added crispiness- let them sit after the first coat for ten minutes
(they'll get a bit moist) and then recoat a second time.

Heat oil in a sauce pan until hot. Cooking in batches, deep-fry squid for about 30 seconds until golden brown and crispy. Remove onto a paper-towel lined plate to drain excess oil. You can cook the minced garlic in the oil by putting it on a strainer ladle and dip into hot oil for ten seconds. Remove and drain.

Place tentacles on a plate and top with garlic and green onions; sprinkle with a bit more salt. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Fragrant, crispy, savoury and delicious! What's not to love?

Ok kids, stop playing with your food...

If you are a dim sum fan like me, check out my post The Splendour of Dim Sum Delicacies for a run down of the favourites and how to try your hands at some from home.