Szechuan Pepper Squid With Naartjie Aioli & Green Salt paired with Warwick's First Lady Chardonnay

Serves: 6

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serve this fresh seafood dish and velvety aioli as a simple snack with a glass of Warwick First Lady Chardonnay or a light meal with a tangy green salad.

Ingredients

For the aioli:

• Two egg yolks
• 40ml Dijon mustard
• 100ml Lemon juice
• Zest and juice of one naartjie
• 200ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 200ml Canola oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the green salt:

• One tbsp flat-leaf parsley
• Two tbsp Basil
• Three tbsp sea salt

Method

Step 1: Make the aioli by mixing the egg yolks and mustard in a large round bowl. Add the lemon and naartjie juice, as well as the naartjie zest. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, followed by the canola oil – be sure to whisk continuously and add the oil slowly, or your mayonnaise will split. Once all the oil has been added, season to taste.

Step 2: Next, prepare the coating for the squid: beat the egg whites until frothy. Place the cornflour in a separate mixing bowl and gently mix the egg white into the flour. Add the sparkling water and the seasoning.

Step 3: Place the squid on a few layers of paper towel and pat dry. Heat a little of the oil in a deep, heavy-based saucepan over high heat, enough to reach about 2cm up the sides. To test that the oil is hot enough, splash some of the batter in the oil – if it sizzles, you are good to go.

Step 4: Dip the squid in the mixture, about half a cup full at a time, and shallow fry until golden in colour. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel.

Step 5: Finely chop the parsley and basil in between frying the batches of squid and mix with the sea salt.

Step 6: Sprinkle the squid with the green salt and serve immediately with the naartjie aioli and a scattering of fresh basil.