Yam pra-muek (Thai Squid Salad)

Ingredients for the dressing:

1. 3 red chillies

2. 1 garlic clove

3. 2 tbsp palm sugar

4. 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce

5. 2 tbsp lime juice

Ingredients for the salad:

1. 400g Squid

2. 1 garlic clove

3. 20 Chinese clive leaf

4. 5 spring onions

5. 1 banana shallot

6. 20 cherry tomatoes

7. ½ cucumber

8. 15g mint leaves

9. 15g Thai basil leaves

10. thumb-sized piece of ginger

11. 2 tbsp rapeseed oil

12. 1 tbsp sesame oil

Directions:

1. For the dressing: finely chop and deseed the red chillies and finely chop the garlic clove. Grind the chillies and garlic together with the palm sugar, fish sauce and lime juice in a pestle and mortar. Set aside.

2. For the salad, clean and prepare the squid, cutting it in half and keeping the tentacles. Remove the skin and score. Set aside.

3. Finely chop the garlic clove. Slice the Chinese clive leaf into 2.5cm lengths. Finely slice the spring onions. Finely dice the shallot. Quarter the tomatoes. Cut the cucumber in half, deseeds and thickly sliced

4. Combine the garlic, chives, spring onions, shallots, cherry tomatoes and cucumber in a large bowl along with the fresh mint leaves and Thai basil leaves.

5. Peel and thinly slice the ginger

6. Heat a wok or large frying pan with the vegetable and sesame oil. Once hot, fry the ginger and cook until just turning golden-brown. Add the squid and tentacles and cook for 15- 30 seconds on each side.

7. Immediately remove from the wok and toss the squid in the prepared dressing

8. Add the hot squid to the salad and mix thoroughly, serve straightaway.

9. Enjoy!