Sotong Sambal
Squid is readily available these days, and it now comes cleaned, which is a definite bonus. Wash thoroughly inside the pocket to make sure that all the quill has been removed.
Ingredients
- 8 small squid, each about 10cm / 4in long, total weight about 350g / 12oz
- lime juice (optional)
- salt
- boiled rice, to serve
For the stuffing:
- 175g / 6oz white fish fillets, such as sole or plaice, skinned
- 2.5cm / 1in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely sliced
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- 50g / 2oz peeled cooked prawns, roughly chopped
For the sambal sauce:
- 4 macadamia nuts or blanched almonds
- 1cm / ½in piece fresh galangal, peeled, or 5ml / 1 tsp drained bottled galangal
- 2 lemon grass stalks, root trimmed
- 1cm / ½in cube shrimp paste (blachan)
- 4 fresh red chillies, or to taste, seeded and roughly chopped
- 175g / 6oz small onions, roughly chopped
- 60-90ml / 4-6 tbsp vegetable oil
- 400ml/14fl oz can coconut milk
Preparation
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- Clean the squid, leaving them whole. Set aside with the tentacles. Put the white fish, ginger and spring onions in a mortar. Add a little salt and pound to a paste with a pestle. Use a food processor, if preferred.
- Transfer the fish mixture to a bowl and stir in the prawns.
- Divide the filling among the squid, using a spoon or a forcing bag fitted with a plain tube. Tuck the tentacles into the stuffing and secure the top of each squid with a cocktail stick.
- Make the sauce. Put the macadamia nuts or almonds and galangal in a food processor. Cut off the lower 5cm / 2in from the lemon grass stalks, chop them roughly and add them to the processor with the shrimp paste, chillies and onions. Process to a paste.
- Heat the oil in a wok and fry the mixture to bring out the full flavours. Bruise the remaining lemon grass and add it to the wok with the coconut milk. Stir constantly until the sauce comes to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer the sauce for 5 minutes.
- Arrange the squid in the sauce, and cook for 15-20 minutes. Taste and season with salt and lime juice, if liked. Serve with boiled rice.
Serves 2.