Panko Crumbed Calamari With Lime Mayonnaise

Panko-Crumbed Calamari with Lime Mayonnaise
In this, my take on that popular dish salt-and-pepper squid, I've reversed the colours of the two starring seasonings, combining Hawaiian black lava salt with one of my favourite spices, white pepper. If you can't find black salt, use a good brand of flaky sea salt,such as Maldon.

Japanese panko breadcrumbs aren't essential for this dish - you can use ordinary fresh or dried breadcrumbs - but they are well worth hunting for because they have a feather-light texture that creates a beautifully light, crisp whisper of a crust. They're available at specialist Oriental food shops and some delicatessens.

These are good with a salty-sweet Asian dipping sauce of lime juice, soy sauce and chilli but, because I don't often make deep-fried anything, I went the whole hog and served them with a zesty mayonnaise with fresh lime juice and rind.

The only tricky aspect of this recipe is getting the oil temperature just right. If it's too cool, the crust will soak up oil and become soggy. If it's too hot, the calamari will overcook. If you have a candy thermometer or digital thermometer, use it to keep the oil at about 160º C [320 ºF].

Finally, do use small, tender, good-quality calamari tubes for this dish. Fresh calamari is sometimes available at good fishmongers. Avoid, at all costs, the rubbery pre-cut frozen rings you see in the supermarket.

If the calamari you buy comes with tentacles, dust them with a little seasoned cornflour (cornstarch) and deep-fry them in the same oil to use as a crisp garnish.

FOR THE LIME MAYONNAISE:
1 cup (250 ml) home-made mayonnaise, or genuine Hellmann's mayonnaise
3 Tbsp (45 ml) thick natural Greek yoghurt
the finely grated zest of a lime
the juice of two small limes
a pinch of salt

TO SERVE:
Hawaiian black lava salt (or flaky sea salt)
a little extra white pepper
lime wedges

Serves 6 as a starter.