Salt and Pepper Squid

Salt and pepper squid is the appetizer that disappears first at any Cantonese restaurant, crisp golden rings of squid tossed with fried garlic, chili, and scallions. It is a wok dish at heart, the kind of thing made for cold beer and loud tables. Cantonese cooks dredge the rings in a flour-and-cornstarch blend so they fry up delicate, never greasy, and the coating is light — just seasoned flour — so the squid itself stays the star.

Crisp outside, tender inside

The trick is a hot, clean fry: the squid cooks in under a minute, turning sweet and tender, while the crust stays shatter-crisp and barely salty. Fried garlic and chili give it heat and aroma, and a squeeze of lime cuts through the richness. Eat it while it is hot, before the crisp gives way — double-frying keeps the crust crunchy even as it sits, but the first five minutes are the glory. It is the dish that makes everyone crowd the stove.

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