How to Make Vietnamese Spicy Stir-fried Squid with Sate Sauce
Spicy stir-fried squid with sate sauce combined with onions, broccoli, colorful bell peppers, and celery is incredibly tasty. The spiciness from the sate sauce permeates the squid, adding rich flavor while eliminating any fishy smell. This dish is quick and simple to make, making it one of the best squid recipes to prepare.
Ingredients
- 400g fresh squid
- 1 jar of sate sauce
- 1 onion ~ 150g
- 1/4 head of cauliflower ~ 120g
- Mixed bell peppers ~ 180-200g
- 5-6 garlic cloves
- 1 piece of ginger
- 1 chili pepper
- 1-2 stalks of celery or green onion, cilantro
- Seasoning: Fish sauce, MSG, oyster sauce, sugar, ground pepper, seasoning powder, non-spicy chili powder (optional)
Ingredient Notes
When choosing squid for stir-frying, use either tube squid or cuttlefish, but make sure the squid is fresh. Choose squid with bright, shiny skin, intact tentacles, firm, thick flesh, and no unpleasant odor.
Instructions
Prepare the squid
Separate the squid's head, then remove the black ink sac and the slimy membrane at the base of the head. Next, pull out the spine along the squid's back and peel off the outer membrane.
Squid has a distinct fishy smell. To remove it, rub the squid with coarse salt, white wine, and some minced ginger. Rinse well, pat dry, and cut into bite-sized pieces. You can explore different ways to cut squid here.
Prepare the other ingredients
Peel and wash the onion, then cut into small squares like for shaking beef. Alternatively, you can cut it into wedges.
Remove the seeds and core from the bell peppers, then cut them into small squares like the onion. Bell peppers add a crunchy, refreshing texture, balancing the dish and making it more colorful.
Soak the cauliflower in salted water, then break it into small florets.
Crush and finely chop the garlic cloves. Peel, wash, and mince the ginger.
Wash the chili pepper and cut it diagonally.
Trim the roots off the celery, wash in salted water, then cut into 2cm pieces.
Marinate the squid
Marinate the squid with 1 teaspoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon sate sauce, 1 teaspoon seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon MSG, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, and some minced ginger.
If you have chili powder, add 1 teaspoon to help eliminate any fishy odor and add vibrant color to the squid. Since this dish uses sate, which is already very spicy, you can use non-spicy chili powder if preferred.
Mix well and let the squid absorb the flavors for 20-25 minutes.
How to stir-fry squid with sate
Add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to a pan. Once hot, sauté the garlic and minced ginger. Then add 1 tablespoon of sate sauce and stir-fry until fragrant. Add more if you prefer a spicier dish.
Next, add the squid and stir-fry quickly. To keep the squid tender and prevent it from becoming chewy or watery, stir-fry it over high heat. Once the squid shrinks and turns opaque, add the cauliflower, followed by the bell peppers.
Stir to combine the ingredients, then add the onion and continue to stir-fry quickly.
Season to taste with 1/2 teaspoon MSG, 1/2 teaspoon seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, and 1/2 tablespoon sugar to balance the spiciness of the sate. Finally, add the celery and chili slices, stir for another 5-6 seconds, then remove from heat and transfer the squid to a plate.
Final Product Requirements
