How to Make Fragrant, Sweet and Crispy Beer-steamed Squid
Beer-steamed Squid with lemongrass and ginger is incredibly aromatic. Enjoy it wrapped in wild betel leaves and dipped in fish sauce with spicy ginger and chili, or simply dip it in hot sauce for an utterly enticing dish.
Ingredients
- 1kg fresh squid tubes
- 2 cans of beer
- 3-4 stalks of lemongrass, 1 ginger root
- 1 onion
- 3-4 celery stalks
- 4-5 green onions
- 1 chili pepper
- Herbs, wild betel leaves, cucumber as side dishes
Instructions
Preparing the Squid
To make a delicious beer-steamed squid, the first step is to pick fresh, high-quality squid. Choose thick-bodied, vibrant squids that aren't mushy or have a foul smell.
Carefully remove the squid's ink sac without disturbing the head to maintain the squid's aesthetics. Keep the squid's backbone to prevent it from shrinking during the steaming process. You can retain the outer sheath for a slight purple-pink hue upon steaming. If you dislike it, you can remove the squid's beak located in the center of the tentacles. Afterwards, gently rinse the squid in diluted saltwater, rinse again, and let it drain.
Preparing Other Ingredients
Peel off the dry, withered outer layer of lemongrass, clean it, crush and cut into pieces.
Keep the ginger skin on, clean it, then crush some and cut some into strips for garnishing and serving.
Cut half of the horn chili into diagonal slices and the other half into strips.
Prepare accompanying steamed ingredients like onion by dicing into small pieces, clean the celery with saltwater, then cut into 6-7cm pieces. Clean the green onions and keep them whole.
How to Steam Squid with Beer, Lemongrass, and Ginger
Put beer into a pot, filling it halfway between the pot's base and the steaming rack. Add crushed lemongrass and ginger, then bring the beer to a boil.
Once the beer is boiling, place the squid on the rack for steaming. Cover the pot. The average steaming time for perfectly cooked, sweet and crispy squid is about 5-6 minutes on medium-high heat.
After 5 minutes of steaming, add onions, celery, green onions, sliced ginger and horn chili for additional steaming. This not only makes the ingredients crispy and green but also adds to the squid's freshness. Continue to cover and steam for almost 2 more minutes.
Your beer-steamed squid is ready after more than 6 minutes of steaming. The smell of beer mixed with lemongrass, ginger, and steamed vegetables is simply mouthwatering. Serve the squid on a plate accompanied by wild betel leaves, Vietnamese coriander, and cucumber.
This squid dish should be eaten while hot, as it will turn fishy when cold. Following this method will give you delicious, fresh squid, steamed for the right amount of time, and served with onions and celery for an aromatic and sweet flavor.
To further enhance the dish's flavor, dip the steamed squid wrapped in wild betel leaves in fish sauce with added chili and minced ginger, or dip it in chili sauce.
Tips & Notes
- Choose fresh squid with a bright, shiny color and an intact outer layer. The squid should not smell bad or be mushy. The head and body should still be attached, not separated. Pressing it should feel firm and thick with elasticity. Especially, if the squid's eyes are clear, choose it. The dish will be delicious with fresh squid.
- When steaming, choose squid tubes or squid eggs. These types of squid are thick and will taste better when steamed.
- Let the beer boil before adding squid to steam, so the steam is even, and the layers of squid at the bottom and top are uniformly cooked.
- Do not steam the squid for too long, as it will lose its sweetness.
