Tiếng Việt
ไทยStir-fried squid with pickled mustard greens is a rustic yet incredibly attractive dish. The salty and refreshing sour taste of the pickles harmonizes with the natural sweet and crunchy taste of the squid, making anyone who tastes it once remember it forever. This is a dish that is both delicious and easy to make, and it is extremely good with rice. Let’s join Ola Squid in the kitchen to prepare this dish!
Ingredients for stir-fried squid with pickled mustard greens
To make the stir-fried squid with pickled mustard greens taste just right, the ingredient preparation stage is a prerequisite. Whether it is squid tubes, broad squid, or egg squid, as long as you choose fresh squid, you have 70% of the dish’s success in your hands.
A serving for 3-4 people usually includes:
- 500g fresh squid (preferred squid tubes or broad squid)
- 550g pickled mustard greens (choose pickles that are just ripe, not too sour)
- 2 ripe red tomatoes
- 1 small onion
- Ginger, garlic, shallots, horn chili, green onions, celery
- Seasonings: fish sauce, oyster sauce, seasoning powder, pepper, MSG, sugar, cooking oil
A small but useful tip: if you want the dish to be richer, you can prepare a little pork belly to stir-fry together to increase the fat and harmony for the dish.
How to choose fresh, high-quality squid
To have a crunchy and sweet stir-fried squid with pickled mustard greens dish, the squid must be very fresh. Tips for choosing delicious squid are very simple:
- The squid skin is shiny, the body is transparent, not cloudy.
- Squid eyes are clear, not dark or cloudy.
- The squid head is tightly attached to the body, not detached.
- When lightly pressing the body, the squid meat has good elasticity, not mushy.
Avoid buying squids that have a strange smell, are slimy, or have dull skin, as these are signs that the squid has been left for a long time and has lost its freshness.
Tips for choosing crispy and delicious pickled greens
Pickled mustard greens are the “soul” of the dish, so choosing delicious pickles is something that cannot be ignored. Good pickled greens have a natural bright yellow color, whole leaves, and are not withered or have a burnt smell. When held up, the pickles are crunchy, not soft or mushy, and the brine is clear, not filmy.
If the pickles are too sour, you can rinse them lightly with cold water and let them drain before stir-frying, or add a little sugar when cooking to balance the sour taste.
Detailed steps to make stir-fried squid with pickled mustard greens at home
Preparing squid correctly, effectively removing the fishy smell
Processing is the most important step when learning how to make stir-fried squid with pickled mustard greens.
- After buying the squid, you need to pull out the head, remove the black ink sac, take out the backbone, squeeze out the eyes and wash thoroughly.
- To remove the fishy smell, rub the squid with grain salt and ginger wine (or white wine + crushed ginger) for a few minutes, then rinse again with clean water. This method helps the squid stay white, fragrant, and free of the characteristic fishy smell.
- When finished processing, cut the squid into bite-sized pieces. If you want the dish to look beautiful, you can score dragon scales or a checkerboard pattern. When stir-fried, the squid will bloom and look very attractive.
Preparing pickled mustard greens and other auxiliary ingredients
- Pickled mustard greens should be squeezed to remove excess water, rinsed lightly, and drained so that the dish is not too sour or releases too much water when stir-fried.
- Wash the tomatoes and cut them into wedges. Slice the onion thinly, and mince the ginger, shallots, and garlic.
- Sliver the horn chili, and cut the green onions and celery into sections.
All ingredients prepared in advance will help the cooking process be fast, seamless, and easy to control the ripeness of each component.
Instructions for stir-frying squid and pickled mustard greens
The secret to stir-fried squid with pickled mustard greens is stir-frying the squid separately first to maintain its sweet crunchiness.
Step 1: Heat the pan, sauté the shallots, garlic, and minced ginger until fragrant. Add the squid and stir-fry quickly over high heat for about 1-2 minutes. When the squid is just firm and turns opaque white, turn off the heat and pour it into a separate bowl.
Tip: Do not stir-fry the squid for too long, as it will make the squid tough and lose its natural sweet taste.
Step 2: Use the same pan, sauté the remaining shallots and garlic. Add the tomatoes and stir well until soft, then add the pickled mustard greens to stir-fry. Season with 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder and 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce to make the pickles more flavorful.
Step 3: When the pickles are firm, add the stir-fried squid and toss together. Add celery, onion, and horn chili and stir evenly. Re-season with fish sauce, pepper, and sugar to suit your taste.
Step 4: When everything is harmonized, add green onions, stir lightly, and turn off the heat.
Finished product and how to enjoy stir-fried squid with pickled mustard greens
The finished stir-fried squid with pickled mustard greens has vibrant colors, ivory white squid, bright yellow pickles, mixed with a bit of red from chili and tomatoes. Just looking at it is enough to stimulate the taste buds.
The aroma of ginger, shallots, and pickles blend together, both fragrant and rich. When eating, you will feel the crunchy sweetness of the squid, the refreshing sourness of the pickles, and a bit of mild spiciness from the horn chili. A delicate harmony that makes the dish both rustic and elegant.
Decorating and presenting the dish beautifully
After stir-frying, scoop the stir-fried squid with pickled mustard greens into a deep plate, sprinkle with some ground pepper, fried shallots, and decorate with a few slices of red chili or fresh green celery stalks on top. The dish is not only delicious but also beautiful, creating a “want to eat right away” feeling when just seen.
What is best to eat with stir-fried squid with pickled mustard greens? Suggestions for side dishes
This dish is best when eaten hot with white rice, scorched rice, or fresh rice vermicelli. If served with cold beer or white wine, the sweet and sour taste combined with the crunchiness of the squid becomes even more prominent.
In addition, you can combine it with snakehead fish sour soup, boiled vegetables with ginger fish sauce, or green onion omelet to create a meal full of flavor.
See more:
- Guide on how to make delicious, standard stir-fried squid with tomatoes
- How to make delicious stir-fried squid with bamboo shoots you should not miss
- Instructions for making simple and delicious stir-fried dried squid with onions
Secrets to making stir-fried squid with pickled mustard greens more attractive
To have a delicious and crispy stir-fried squid with pickled mustard greens, don’t forget the 3 secrets that Ola Squid suggests below:
- Stir-fry the squid separately at high heat for a short time to keep the sweetness.
- The pickled mustard greens should not be too sour, and should be stir-fried on high heat so they don’t release water.
- Adding oyster sauce or a little unsalted butter at the end helps the dish look glossy and brings out a characteristic aroma.
If you don’t have fresh squid available, you can also use whole dried squid from Ola Squid to create a uniquely chewy and flavorful version of this stir-fry dish.
How to properly preserve stir-fried squid with pickled mustard greens
If there are leftovers, let the dish cool completely then put it in an airtight container, and store it in the refrigerator for a maximum of 2 days. When using it again, just stir-fry it hot again with a bit of sautéed shallots and garlic, and the dish will still maintain its original flavor.
Notes when preparing stir-fried squid with pickled mustard greens
- Do not use pickles that have been fermented for too long, as it easily makes the dish have a harsh taste and an unpleasant smell.
- When processing, remove the black ink sac and squid eyes carefully to avoid bitterness.
- Marinate the squid for just enough time, do not leave it for too long otherwise it will release water, reducing the crispness.
Stir-fried squid with pickled mustard greens is not only a delicious dish but also carries the simplicity of Vietnamese cuisine. Each piece of crunchy squid harmonizes with the refreshing sour taste of the pickles, making the family meal warmer. With the above formula and secrets, you can completely cook this dish yourself at home, so that the rustic but charming flavor spreads in every meal. If you have a passion for cuisine, let’s explore more delicious dishes at the Culinary Corner section of Ola Squid!
