Chargrilled Dried Squid

I am not sure whether to consider this a recipe or not as for me it’s not a real recipe as it consists of 1 ingredient and it’s the dried squid but I want to post this to share some of the different food items Filipinos love like this one. You may had seen this already when you had travelled to South East Asia, especially in Thailand where the sell this on street and Hong Kong where you see it is sold in bulk in wet markets.

Dried squid is just made out of a cleaned squid then sun dried, when cooked it has that strong smell and chewy texture. Often consumed on its own either by frying or grilling but it is also used to add flavour to soups and other dishes. Other methods of using this ingredient is rehydrating it by soaking in water overnight then using it like a normal squid. In Japan and in Korea you can see ready to eat versions of this delicacy where it’s precooked and sliced thinly. In Philippines this is a popular street food where it is char grilled like this recipe and placed in bamboo skewers then dipped in a chilli infused vinegar dip, it is also a popular breakfast item where it is consumed with fried egg and garlic fried rice.

I suggest if you see one of these on Asian shops give it a try, it will be a good culinary experience but do so only when you have a large barbecue space that is far away from your neighbours as most of the non-Asians does not like the strong smell of this specially when it is cooking. It is crispy, tasty and sometimes addictive when you get used to it.

Ingredients

Dried Squid
1 cup vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 green chillies, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp sugar
freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Barbecue dried squid quickly, do not cook more than 30 seconds on each side it will taste bitter. Set aside.
2. Make your dip by mixing all the remaining ingredients together.