Andalucian fried squid with alioli

The Spanish are experts at frying fish and the trick is to use ‘harina de trigo’ which is slightly coarser than usual flour and gives a crisp golden finish. This dish is extremely versatile, it is perfect as a tapa, starter or main meal when served with a fresh salad.

You will need:

300g cleaned squid rings
Harina de trigo or plain flour
Salt and black pepper
250g mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

How to cook:

1. Place the flour onto a plate and season with salt and pepper, dust the squid in the flour ensuring an even coverage and shake of the excess then place onto a plate.
2. Pour the olive oil in a large deep frying pan (to roughly 1cm in depth) and heat until just before it smokes.
3. Fry the squid in the oil a few at a time until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes, then drain on kitchen paper before transferring to a serving dish.
4. Serve with lemon wedges and the spicy mayonnaise which is made by peeling and crushing the garlic and mixing with the mayonnaise. Then add a teaspoon of hot smoked paprika to the mayonnaise and mix well.