Lunch: Salt-and-Pepper Squid with Chinese Five-Spice Powder

Recipe by Wendy Leon Wendy Leon gives this classic Chinese squid dish a fun twist by flavoring it with five-spice powder (typically a ground mixture of cinnamon, star anise, black peppercorns, fennel and clove). "It's her version of a Super Bowl snack,"

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
Kosher salt
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 large eggs
Cornstarch, for dusting
1 pound cleaned squid—bodies cut into 1/2-inch rings, tentacles halved
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 scallions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1/2 red jalapeño, seeded and minced
Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 °. Set a large rack over a large rimmed baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine the five-spice powder with 1 teaspoon of salt.
In a large saucepan, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil to 350 °. In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs. Spread cornstarch in another shallow bowl. Working in four batches, dip the squid in the egg; squeeze out any excess egg. Dredge the squid in the cornstarch, shaking off any excess. Add the squid to the hot oil and fry until golden and crisp, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the squid to the rack. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining squid.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the scallions, garlic, onion and jalapeño and stir-fry over high heat until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the squid and stir-fry until just heated through. Sprinkle with the five-spice mixture. Transfer to a platter or shallow bowl and serve right away with lime wedges.

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