Crispy squid with garlic mayonnaise by Nigella Lawson

Serves 2

Preparation time less than 30 mins

Cooking time less than 10 mins

I prefer to eat a massive amount of this, and nothing else, rather than have it more
meanly as a starter. But it would happily stretch to four people, ready to dunk each
crisp piece of squid into the garlic mayonnaise over pre-dinner drinks.

Ingredients
For the crispy squid
250ml/9fl oz groundnut oil, or enough to one-third fill a deep heavy-based pan
1 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp semolina
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning (available from some specialist shops and online stores, or use
a mixture of salt and ground paprika)
250g/9oz frozen squid (tubes and tentacles), to give 200g/7oz when defrosted, cut
into 1cm/½in rings
For the garlic mayonnaise
¼-½ garlic clove, crushed, to taste
4 tbsp best-quality mayonnaise

Method
1. For the crispy squid, place the oil into a deep, heavy-based saucepan and heat until
a small cube of bread sizzles and turns golden when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot
oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
2. While the oil's heating, place the corn flour, semolina and seasoning into a plastic
freezer bag.
3. Add the squid rings and tentacles to the bag and shake gently to coat the squid
completely.
4. When the oil is hot enough, fry the squid in batches until golden and crisp - a
couple of minutes per batch is all you should need. Remove from the oil with a slotted
spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
5. Meanwhile, for the garlic mayonnaise, stir the crushed garlic into the mayonnaise.
6. To serve, place the crispy squid onto a serving plate with the mayonnaise in a small
bowl alongside.