Deep Fried Squid with Plantain/Banana Fritters Recipe

(Muc Chien Voi Chuoi Chien)

Ingredients : Serves 4

450 g

2 cloves

10 ml

2 tablespoons

Plantain Fritters

25 g

50 g

1 teaspoon

Batter

100 g

A pinch

150 ml

Fresh squid, cleaned and prepared

Garlic, minced

Nuoc Mam sauce (optional)

Chopped fresh dill

Black pepper

Cornflour

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Egg

Caster sugar

Whole ripe plantain, peeled and mashed

Plain flour

Baking powder

Vegetable oil for frying

Plain flour

Salt

Ground cinnamon

Egg, beaten

Milk

Method :

Make the fritters first. Make the batter by mixing the flour and salt. Stir the cinnamon, egg and milk together and add to the flour and salt mixture.
Mix thoroughly using a wire whisk. Place on a low shelf in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Add the egg and then 25g sugar to the plantain, beating continuously. Mix the flour and baking powder, stir into the plantain mixture and blend thoroughly. Coat the mixture, a tablespoon at a time, with the batter. Heat the oil and fry these one at a time. Set the fritters aside.
Separate the head and body of the squid by pulling apart gently. Cut off and chop up the tentacles, discard the head. Peel off the membrane from the body. Wash the squid under cold water and cut the body into rings.
Combine the squid, tentacles, garlic, Nuoc Mam sauce, if used, dill and black pepper. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes. Coat the rings and tentacles in cornflour, shaking off excess.
Heat the oil until it starts to smoke. Drop in the squid pieces a few at a time and deep fry for about 1 minute or until golden brown. Remove and drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
On a serving plate, make a ring with the plantain fritters and heap the deep fried squid in the middle. Serve hot with the Nuoc Cham sauce in a small bowl.