Tempura squid with ponzu dipping sauce

Method

• step 1

  Mix together the dipping sauce ingredients with 2 tbsp of water. Give it a taste – it should be full of flavour but not too strong. Add another 1 tbsp of water if it seems too thick.

• step 2

  Rinse the squid and pat dry with kitchen paper. Cut the tubes into 5mm-thick rings, pat dry again and tip into a large bowl. Cut the tentacles into bite-sized pieces and add to the bowl.

• step 3

  Fill a pan no more than a third full with oil and heat to 180C or until a cube of bread browns within 30 seconds and sizzles immediately. You can also check with a wooden chopstick – if the oil sizzles when you dip the tip into the oil, it’s ready.

• step 4

  When the oil is hot, add 1 tbsp of flour to the squid and toss well with a pinch of salt. Put the remaining flour and cornflour in a bowl with a pinch of salt, pour in the beer and mix until you can’t see any dry flour – don’t whisk otherwise you’ll lose the bubbles. A few lumps of flour is fine – this creates a crisp batter.

• step 5

  Drop the squid into the batter in small batches, let the excess drip off, then fry for 3-4 minutes or until lightly golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and fry the rest, bringing the oil back up to temperature first if needed. Serve with the ponzu for dunking.