Cambodia's Food: Stuffed kampot squid

Ingredients

• 4small squid, about 10–15 cm long, cleaned, reserving the tentacles 
• 50 gminced (ground) pork shoulder 
• ½carrot, diced 
• 1 tspoyster sauce, plus 1 tbsp extra 
• 1 tspsea salt 
• ½ tspfish sauce 
• ½ tspliquid palm sugar or shaved palm sugar (jaggery) 
• 1spring onion, finely sliced 
• 20 gglass noodles 
• 1 tbspvegetable oil 
• 2garlic cloves, finely diced 
• 2red Asian shallots, diced 
• 4snake beans, cut into 10 cm lengths 
• 60 mlsweet fish sauce dressing 
•  2 tbsp fried red Asian shallots 
• red flame flowers, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

Marinating and soaking time 10 minutes

Dice the squid tentacles on a chopping board. Add the pork and carrot and finely mince together using a cleaver or two sharp knives.

Transfer to a mixing bowl, and then add the 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce, the salt, fish sauce, palm sugar and spring onion. Mix well and set aside.

Coat the squid tubes with the extra 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak the noodles in a bowl of water for 10 minutes, then drain and cut into 3 cm lengths. Set aside.

Add the vegetable oil, garlic and shallots to a hot wok or frying pan. Stir-fry over high heat for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

Add the pork mixture and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, or until cooked, then add the noodles and stir-fry for a further minute. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.

Stuff each squid tube with the pork mixture, and then close the end of each tube by stuffing it with four snake bean pieces, leaving half the snake beans sticking out of the ends, resembling a squid’s tail.

Heat a chargrill pan or barbecue plate to medium. Chargrill the squid for 8 minutes, or until the stuffing is cooked through, turning the squid often.

Slice the squid in half and drizzle with the sweet fish sauce dressing.

Serve garnished with a sprinkle of fried shallots, and red flame flowers, if desired.

By Luke Nguyen, www.sbs.com.au