Hot and Sour Pen-Tube Squid
A signature Hunan dish boasting vibrant, tangy, spicy, fresh, and aromatic flavors. Squid is rolled into a pen-holder shape, with a crisp yet tender texture.
Ingredients
Soaked squid (scored in crosshatch pattern, cut into rectangular slices)
300 g
Lean pork (minced)
50 g
Pickled vegetables
25 g
Pickled chili
to taste
Alkaline water (for soaking squid)
to taste
Wet cornstarch (for seasoning)
to taste
Soy sauce
to taste
Yellow vinegar
to taste
MSG
to taste
Clear broth
to taste
Peanut oil (for blanching in 80% hot oil)
to taste
Instructions
1
Preparing the squid
Score the squid in a crosshatch pattern and cut into rectangular slices. Blanch in 70°C water until they curl into pen-tube shapes. Soak in alkaline water for 30 minutes, then remove and rinse off the alkaline flavor. Season with seasonings and wet cornstarch, then blanch in 80% hot oil until cooked through and remove.
2
Stir-frying
Leave some oil in the pan, add the minced pork and pickled chilies, and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the squid, then add soy sauce, yellow vinegar, and MSG, and stir-fry together. Add clear broth, bring to a boil, thicken with cornstarch, and serve.
