Sustainable, delicious and a great crowd-pleaser, squid is surprisingly quick to prepare and holds up well against all kinds of strong flavours
1 SQUID WITH CHILLI & MINT
Take a whole prepared squid and cut shallow slits along the body as if you were cutting it into rings. Sprinkle over a tablespoon of fennel seeds with salt and pepper and rub into the cuts. Fry in a very hot pan with a little oil for a few minutes until the flesh is charred and opaque. Serve with a dressing of lemon juice.
2 SALT & PEPPER SQUID
Heat 500ml groundnut oil in a deep pan. In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of salt and pepper with some ground Szechuan peppercorns and 75g cornflour. Toss 500g of squid rings until coated, then deep fry for 1 minute, being careful not to crowd the pan. Drain and serve with lemon wedges.
3 SQUID & TOMATO STEW
Fry a finely chopped red onion in a little oil with a diced red chilli and a pinch of paprika. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes, simmer for 5 minutes then stir in a can of butter beans with 300g chopped squid. Bring to the boil, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Season, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
4 SQUID & COCONUT CURRY
Fry a chopped red onion, a chopped red pepper and 2 shredded bok choi for 3 minutes until soft. Add a tablespoon each of chopped ginger and Thai red curry paste, fry for 1 minute then pour in a tin of coconut milk and 300g squid rings. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, then serve with fresh coriander and rice.
5 CHORIZO-STUFFED SQUID Clean and prepare 16 baby squid and remove any tentacles. Bash chopped chorizo until it becomes a thick paste, then use it to stuff each squid. Secure with a cocktail stick, then season. Fry each squid for 2 minutes in a little olive oil, s
