Tender Steam-Grilled Stuffed Squid

Method21 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Soak the dried wood-ear fungus (2–3 pieces) in enough water for about 20 minutes, until expanded and soft. Discard the soaking water and use the softened fungus promptly.

   Soften wood-ear fungus · 20 minUses 2–3 pieces dried wood-ear fungus · Water, enough to soak the dried wood-ear fungus

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Pat the lean pork (350 g) dry without rinsing it and mince coarsely. Keep it covered and refrigerated when you are not handling it.

   Uses 350 g lean pork, coarsely minced

3. 3

   Step 3: Mix all the minced pork with the salt (1 tsp), selected 2–3 tsp marinade oil, cornstarch (2 tsp), light soy sauce (2½ tsp) and dash of white pepper. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

   Cold pork marinade · 15 minUses All coarsely minced pork from step 2 · 1 tsp salt for the pork marinade · 2–3 tsp oil for the pork marinade · 2 tsp cornstarch · 2½ tsp light soy sauce · 1 dash white pepper

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Scrub and rinse the water chestnuts (6–7), peel them and dice into small cubes. Discard the washing water.

   Uses 6–7 water chestnuts · Fresh water for washing the chestnuts

5. 5

   Step 5: Shell the prawns, slit their backs and remove the veins. Rinse briefly, drain and cut each into three or four pieces. Keep cold until mixing the filling.

   Uses 15 medium shell-on prawns · Fresh water for briefly rinsing the prepared prawns

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Rinse the spring onions (2 sprigs) and chop finely. If using the garnish, rinse and chop the parsley (1 sprig) and rinse and cut the lime (1) into wedges. Keep ready garnish separate from the raw filling and seafood.

   Uses 2 sprigs spring onions · 1 sprig parsley, optional · 1 lime, optional · Fresh water for spring onions and optional garnish

7. 7

   Step 7: Rinse the softened fungus thoroughly, checking the folds for grit. Drain, trim any tough base and cut into small squares.

   Uses All softened fungus from step 1 · Fresh water for rinsing the softened fungus

8. 8

   Step 8: Combine the marinated pork, chopped fungus, diced water chestnuts, chopped prawns and prepared spring onions in a bowl and mix evenly.

   Uses All marinated pork from step 3 · All prepared fungus from step 7 · All diced chestnuts from step 4 · All peeled, deveined and cut prawn flesh from step 5 · All chopped spring onions from step 6, excluding the separate garnish

9. 9

   Step 9: Crack the egg (1) into the combined filling and mix until evenly incorporated.

   Uses All combined filling from step 8 · 1 egg

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Cover the filling and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Clean the squid while it chills, keeping the filling cold until stuffing.

    Chill filling · 30 minUses All egg-enriched filling from step 9

11. 11

    Step 11: Gently pull each squid (4) head from its body and remove the innards, intact ink sac and transparent quill. Remove the eyes without squeezing them and remove the hard beak from the tentacles. Rinse the cavities, bodies and edible heads/tentacles, drain and keep cold.

    Uses 4 whole squid, about 200 g each · Fresh water for cleaning the squid

    
12. 12

    Step 12: Take the chilled filling from the refrigerator. Use a chopstick to loosely fill each squid body only three-quarters full so the filling can expand. Do not compact it or force all the prepared filling into the cavities. Keep any unused filling covered and refrigerated, and cook it fully separately.

    Uses Chilled filling from step 10, only as much as fits loosely in the four cavities · All four cleaned squid bodies from step 11, with their heads held separately

13. 13

    Step 13: Tuck each matching edible head/tentacle cluster into its filled squid opening.

    Uses All four loosely filled squid bodies from step 12 · All four matching edible heads and tentacle clusters from step 11

14. 14

    Step 14: Secure each opening with a toothpick and place the four stuffed squid on a heatproof plate.

    Uses All four stuffed squid with matching heads from step 13

    
15. 15

    Step 15: Bring the steamer water to a vigorous boil with the water below the rack. Put the plate above the water, cover and steam over high heat, first checking after 20 minutes. Continue until the centre of the pork-prawn-egg stuffing in every squid reaches 74°C/165°F and the seafood is fully cooked. Maintain steam and add hot water as needed; do not let the steamer run dry.

    Steam stuffed squid · 20 minUses All four secured stuffed squid from step 14 · Water, enough for the steamer, with hot top-ups if needed

    
16. 16

    Step 16: Lift the fully cooked squid from the plate and drain off the collected steaming liquid. The searing route does not use that liquid. Keep the squid hot and move directly to searing.

    Uses All four fully cooked squid from step 15, lifted out of the collected liquid

17. 17

    Step 17: Heat a heavy grill pan over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp butter and, as soon as it sizzles, add two of the hot drained squid. Sear the first face for about 3–4 minutes, first checking at 3 minutes, until lightly browned.

    First batch: first face · 3 minUses 1 tbsp butter for the first two-squid batch · Two of the four hot drained squid from step 16

18. 18

    Step 18: Turn the first two squid and sear the opposite face for another 3–4 minutes, first checking at 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Lift out and keep hot while finishing the other two.

    First batch: second face · 3 minUses Both squid after their first face was seared at step 17

19. 19

    Step 19: Add the remaining 1 tbsp butter to the hot pan. As soon as it sizzles, add the other two drained squid and sear their first face for about 3–4 minutes, first checking at 3 minutes, until lightly browned.

    Second batch: first face · 3 minUses Remaining 1 tbsp butter for the second two-squid batch · The other two of the four hot drained squid from step 16

20. 20

    Step 20: Turn the second two squid and sear their opposite face for another 3–4 minutes, first checking at 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from heat.

    Second batch: second face · 3 minUses Both squid after their first face was seared at step 19

21. 21

    Step 21: Remove and count all toothpicks before slicing all four cooked squid. Arrange on a serving dish or the grill pan and divide into five side portions. Add the prepared parsley and lime wedges if desired and serve hot.

    Uses Both fully seared squid from step 18 · Both fully seared squid from step 20 · All chopped parsley from step 6, if using · All lime wedges from step 6, if using