MAVIS CRISPY SQUID

Written By LAMB Creative Agency
“This is a classic cafe dish and at Mavis and Co they make the harissa, aioli and olive crumb from scratch. If you want to cheat, you could buy a good quality harissa and aioli from Vetro.”
Mavis classic cafe dish - Crispy Squid

Method

  1. Toast the cumin, coriander and caraway seeds in a pan until fragrant (2-3 minutes). Transfer the seeds to a mortar and pestle and roughly crush them before adding to the food processor along with the chopped chillies. Garlic, tomato paste, sugar and paprika. Pulse a few times until roughly chopped and combined. Add lemon juice, rosewater, cider vinegar, half of the olive oil and a pinch of salt to the blender. Blitz until it becomes a coarse paste. Transfer to a bowl and add the remaining olive oil as a layer on top, then refrigerate.

  2. Combine all ingredients apart from oil and blend together in a food processor. Add oil in a very slow trickle. If needed, add hot water to thin our but keep mayo as thick as possible.

  3. TO ASSEMBLE

    Bring frying oil to 180°C. Drain squid then coat in flour seasoning. Fry for 1-1½ minutes or until crispy to touch (being careful not to overcook). On desired serving plate place 3 small dollops of harissa, off centre. Arrange 3 similar size aioli in between. Place squid on top and scatter olive dust. Serve with a lemon wedge.

Ingredients

HARISSA

1 1/2 cups whole dried red chillies

1 dried ancho chilli

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp caraway seeds

8 garlic cloves

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 tbsp paprika

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 ½ tbsp rosewater (available from La Cave, Vetro and The Herbal Dispensary)

1 ¼ cup cider vinegar

1 cup olive oil, divided in 2 batches

AIOLI

3 EGGS

3 tbsp cider vinegar

3 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp sugar

½ lemon, juiced

2 minced garlic, cloves

3 cups oil

Salt and pepper to taste

OLIVE CRUMB

1 cup black pitted olives

Drain and pat dry as much as possible. Place in food processor and pulse till small crumb but not fine paste. On a large roasting tray spread a thin payer and bake in oven at 90° for 3-3½  hours, checking occasionally till fry and dehydrated.

SQUID FLOUR

(6 portions)

2 cups cornflour

2 cups rice flour

4 tsp salt

2 tsp white pepper

2 tsp chilli powder

3 tsp paprika

2 tsp white sesame seeds

In a large bowl combine all ingredients and whisk until well combined.

LAMB Creative Agency