This lively dish of baby squid artfully stuffed with a flavourful mixture of pork, prawns, fragrant herbs and chilli will be a popular addition to any menu. Serve sliced as a canapé or tapas or with the noodle salad as a light main.
6
Serves
30m
Prep
10m
Cook
Ingredients
Squid
- 18 small squid (approximately 800g including tentacles), cleaned and reserve tentacles
- 350g pork mince
- 200g green prawn meat, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 long red chilli, finely chopped
- 6 shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup coriander stems and roots, washed, dried and finely chopped
- 20ml fish sauce
- 10ml soy sauce
- 20ml peanut oil
Hot and sour dressing
- 100ml fish sauce
- 50ml lime juice
- 20ml peanut oil
- 30ml sherry vinegar
- 30g palm sugar, grated
- 10g caster sugar
- 15g ginger, grated or finely chopped
- 1 long red chilli, finely chopped
- 2 stems coriander, roots, stalks and leaves, finely chopped
- 1 red eschallot, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Noodle salad
- 250g thin squid ink spaghetti (or bean thread vermicelli/sweet potato noodles)
- 1/3 wombok, finely shredded
- 100g daikon, julienned
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- Handful mint leaves, torn
To serve
- Mint leaves, Thai basil, chopped roasted cashews or peanuts, finger lime pearls and crispy shallots
Method
1. To prepare the squid
In a bowl using your hands, mix the pork, prawn mince, garlic, onion, chilli, shiitake mushrooms, coriander, fish sauce and soy until well combined. Using a spoon (a wide tube funnel makes the job even easier), stuff the squid tubes until comfortably filled (they should round out slightly but don’t overstuff as the mixture will expand a little as it cooks) and secure the end shut using a toothpick. Place in a single layer on a tray, cover and refrigerate until required.
2. For the dressing
Add all the ingredients for the dressing to a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside until required. If making the dressing in advance, don’t add the coriander until serving.
3. For the noodle salad
Cook the noodles to al dente (according to their packet instructions), plunge the cooked noodles into an ice bath to cool quickly and halt cooking. Just before serving mix together the noodles, wombok, daikon, carrot and mint, and lightly dress with a little of the hot and sour dressing.
4. To cook the squid
Heat a large frying pan, griddle or barbecue plate over medium-high heat, coat with the oil and add the stuffed squid tubes, cook for 6-8 minutes (their size will dictate the time), until golden and cooked through. Halfway through toss the tentacles on to cook. Slice the stuffed squid tubes into 1-2cm slices and serve on a bed of noodles, topped with herbs, finger lime pearls and lime wedges, with extra dressing on the side.
Note: Larger squid tubes can also be used for this dish – prepare in the same way and thickly sliced to serve.
