This squid stir-fried with lots of scallions is nice and spicy. It’s not all heat, however; the onion and squid are both sweet and chewy, in contrast to the fiery sauce. You won’t need to prepare any other side dishes—just serve this with rice, and you will have a meal with a full range of textures and flavors. It’s not always easy to find fresh squid, so I sometimes buy frozen. The quality is good because the squid is flash-frozen right on the fishing boats. Make sure not to overcook the squid, or it will be rubbery.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon minced peeled ginger
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons Korean hot pepper flakes (gochu-garu)
- 1 teaspoon potato starch or cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 small carrot, cut into 3-x-½-inch-thick strips (about ½ cup)
- 1 large onion, sliced (about 1½ cups)
- 12 scallions, cut into 3-inch pieces on the diagonal
- 1 pound fresh or frozen cleaned squid bodies and tentacles, thawed if frozen, cut into about 3-x-½-inch pieces
- 1 green Korean chili pepper (cheong-gochu), stemmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, and hot pepper flakes in a small bowl. Mix the potato starch with the water in another small bowl.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil, carrot, and onion and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the scallions and stir-fry until wilted and beginning to soften, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the squid and the seasoning mixture and cook, stirring, until the squid is just opaque, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the potato starch slurry and stir until the sauce thickens, about 30 seconds.
- Transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately.
