Best for: Crisp squid rings with the salt-pepper tingle.
Salt and pepper squid is the seafood-house answer to fried calamari: a whisper-thin coating, a flash of extreme heat, and a toss with fried garlic, chiles, and tingling salt-and-pepper mix. The griddle does what the fryer does in about two minutes. It shares nothing but the squid with this collection’s skewers (dry spice over charcoal) or the site’s other squid dishes — this one is all crisp coating and salt-pepper flash.
Griddle: Flat-top griddle or large cast-iron griddle over direct high heat on the grill; 500°F. Equipment: Griddle, wide spatula, tongs, paper towels.
Ingredients
6 minutes. Total: 21 minutes.
Squid and coating
- 1 1/2 lb cleaned squid, tubes cut into 1/2-inch rings, tentacles left whole, patted very dry
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon fine table salt, for the coating
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil
Salt and pepper finish
- 1 teaspoon fine table salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely cracked
- 1/2 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 fresh red chiles, thinly sliced
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
Directions
Stir the finish salt, black pepper, and Sichuan pepper into the salt and pepper mix. Toss the dry squid with the cornstarch and the coating salt until every piece is lightly dusted; shake off the excess.
Heat the griddle on the grill to 500°F until just smoking and add the neutral oil.
Lay the squid out in a single layer — work in two batches rather than crowding — and cook undisturbed for 1 minute, until the coating sets and browns.
Flip and cook for 1 minute more, until just opaque and registering 145°F. Pull it immediately; squid punishes hesitation.
Add the garlic and chiles to the griddle for 20 seconds, until fragrant, then toss the squid back through with half the salt and pepper mix.
Serve at once, scattered with the scallions and remaining mix, while the coating is still crisp.
Grilling tip: The squid must be truly dry before the cornstarch goes on — blot it twice; wet squid sheds its coating and steams.
