salt and pepper squid

Possibly the easiest and most delicious appetiser you will ever cook.

Ingredients:

• 500g squid/calamari rings (baby are better, but frozen are fine)
• 75g cornflour (cornstarch if you are American)
• 3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons freshly ground rock salt, sea salt or spiced salt (I use roasted garlic and chili salt and it's divine)
• Enough oil to fill your frying pan of choice to 1cm - use vegetable, canola or soy, not your expensive extra virgin olive oil
• A squeeze of lemon to serve

Method:

1. Mix cornflour, salt and pepper together in a large freezer or similar bag.
2. Heat the oil until very hot - not smoking, but close.
3. Toss in the squid and shake it up.
4. Knock any excess flour from the squid back into the bag.
5. Cook in the hot oil for 90 seconds.
6. The result will be golden and crispy and should be served immediately with salad, a squeeze of lemon and tartare sauce for dipping.
7. Eat with your hands
.

I have used excess flour to do the same process with surimi which produces an interesting quite dry, fishy nibble - I liked it, others might not.