How to Make Stir-Fried Squid with Onions
How to make stir-fried squid with onions that is both delicious and visually appealing by adding colorful bell peppers, leeks, and slices of red chili. This squid stir-fry is a great dish to prepare when hosting guests—it's both tasty and elegant.
Ingredients
- 450g squid
- 350g onions
- Assorted bell peppers (~200g)
- 1 leek, 2-3 stalks celery
- 2-3 shallots
- 4-5 garlic cloves
- 1 piece of ginger
- 1 red chili pepper
- Coarse salt, ginger wine
- Seasonings: Oyster sauce, seasoning powder, salt, MSG, sugar, ground pepper, fish sauce
Ingredient Notes
- For stir-fried squid with onions, use either cuttlefish or squid tubes. Make sure to choose fresh squid with thick, firm flesh for the best flavor and texture. You can also use squid tentacles for a delicious variation.
- Bell peppers are crunchy with a mild, slightly tangy flavor, making them a healthy and attractive addition to the dish. They also enhance the visual appeal of the stir-fried squid with onions.
Instructions
Preparing the Squid
For this stir-fried squid with onions recipe, Cookbeo uses cuttlefish that has already been cleaned by the seller, with the hard cartilage and innards removed and the outer membrane peeled. When you bring it home, make sure to squeeze out the squid's eyes and remove the beak, then thoroughly scrape away the inner slime and rinse the squid.
Next, clean and deodorize the squid by rubbing it with coarse salt and ginger wine. If you don't have ginger wine, you can use salt and either lemon or vinegar to prepare the squid.
After thoroughly scrubbing the squid with salt and ginger wine, rinse it well, let it drain, and then slice it into pieces.
For the squid tentacles, simply cut them into 3-4 cm sections. Score the squid fins along the edges to create a leaf shape. The squid body can be sliced in various ways. You can refer to this article for different squid slicing techniques. Here, Cookbeo slices the squid into sea cucumber and tulip flower shapes.
For cuttlefish, which has thick flesh, you can thinly slice the squid before creating the shapes. If using squid tubes, avoid cutting the pieces too small, as they may shrink during stir-frying, resulting in dry and fragmented pieces.
Once sliced, marinate the squid with a few seasonings before stir-frying to enhance its flavor and aroma. Marinate the squid with:
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoning powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon MSG
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon non-spicy chili powder
Preparing the Other Ingredients
Mince the shallots, garlic, and ginger. Add a small portion to marinate with the squid, and reserve the rest for stir-frying later.
Slice the red chili pepper diagonally. If you prefer a spicier dish, use hot chili peppers instead.
Trim the roots off the leek and celery, soak them in salted water to clean, then drain and chop. You can shred the leek tops into thin strips if desired.
Stir-Frying the Squid with Onions
Heat some cooking oil in a pan, then add the minced shallots, garlic, and ginger, and sauté until golden and fragrant.
Next, add the marinated squid and stir-fry. To keep the squid tender and prevent it from releasing too much water, stir-fry over high heat. Once the squid is just cooked through and turns opaque, add the onion wedges and stir well, then add the bell pepper strips.
At this point, adjust the seasoning to taste with additional seasoning powder, oyster sauce, and a bit of fish sauce to enhance the aroma. After seasoning, add the chopped celery and leek, along with the red chili slices.
This stir-fried squid with onions dish is flavorful, with a tender and fragrant texture. The addition of bell peppers enhances the dish's visual appeal and makes it more appetizing without being overwhelming.
Don't forget to share your finished dish with Cookbeo in the comments section below!
