Flower Roll Squid
Squid scored in a crosshatch pattern curls as it stir-fries with pineapple, yielding a sweet-and-sour seafood dish with a crisp, tender bite.
Ingredients
Soaked squid (scored in cross-hatch pattern on the inside, cut into 6 cm long x 3 cm wide pieces)
350 g
Sugar
25 g
Fresh peeled pineapple (cut into chunks)
200 g
White vinegar
25 g
Tomato chunks
50 g
Light soy sauce
20 g
Wet starch
50 g
MSG
15 g
Scallion segments
6 g
Sesame oil
1 g
Minced garlic
25 g
Rendered lard
200 g
Instructions
1
Prepare the squid
Score the inside of the soaked squid in a cross-hatch (diamond) pattern and cut into 6 cm long x 3 cm wide pieces. Blanch in boiling water so the pieces curl into flower rolls, then remove and wrap in cheesecloth to squeeze out the excess water.
2
Mix the sauce
Cut the fresh pineapple into chunks and arrange them as a base in a serving dish. Combine the tomato chunks, scallion segments, minced garlic, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, MSG, wet starch, and sesame oil together to make the sauce.
3
Stir-fry
Place a wok over high heat until hot, swirl in the rendered lard to coat the surface, then pour off the oil. Add 50 g of oil back to the wok over high heat, immediately pour in the sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Quickly add the flower-roll squid, give it a couple of brisk tosses, turn the wok to coat evenly, then pile the squid on top of the pineapple chunks. Serve immediately.
