Fried cuttlefish with chilli butter
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 10 to 30 mins
- Serve
- Serves 2
- Dietary
- Nut-free
Browning the butter before combining it with chilli and garlic adds a lovely nutty aroma and flavour to this crispy deep-fried cuttlefish.
Ingredients
For the fried cuttlefish
- 4 small cuttlefish, cleaned
- 1 free-range egg white
- 1 tsp salt, plus extra for seasoning
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- oil, for deep-frying
- 100g/3½oz cornflour
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp ground turmeric
For the chilli butter
- 100g/3½oz unsalted butter
- 1–2 tbsp chilli paste or chilli flakes
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
To serve
- 6 spring onions, chopped
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
Method
To make the fried cuttlefish, cut the cuttlefish into small chunks. Put the egg white in a bowl and mix in the pinch of salt and turmeric. Leave to marinate for 10 minutes. Preheat a deep fat fryer or a wok of oil to 180C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
Mix the cornflour, the teaspoon of salt, black pepper, and turmeric together and toss the cuttlefish in the seasoned flour.
Carefully lower the cuttlefish into the hot oil to deep fry for a few minutes, or until crisp and golden-brown. Carefully remove using a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with kitchen paper. Leave in a warm place.
To make the chilli butter, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and cook until it reaches a nut-brown colour. Then add the chilli paste or flakes and garlic.
To serve, toss the cuttlefish in the butter and add the spring onions. Serve with lime wedges.
