Salt and pepper squid

For a tasty little starter this is really lovely. Ideally pop to North Shields fish quay to pick up the squid, but today it was Byker Morrison's... as time just didn't allow, and we'd already been to the Cumberland Arms for a drink...

The squid need to be cleaned and the insides and cartilage removed... Hold the head and tenticles in one hand and the body in the other, pull in different directions until separate. Cut the tenticles off at the beak, just below the eyes, and throw away the head and everything else attached. Pull the cartilage, a little tranparent quill, out of the body and throw it away. Turn the body inside out and rinse it to clean off anything left. Cut it cross ways into a series of rings and dry them off with some kitchen roll.

Sprinkle a pile of plain flour into a bowl and add a chopped chilli, and a good pinch of salt flakes and pepper. I used a whole red chilli for two quite big squid.

Toss the tenticles and rings of squid in the flour and chilli mixture, until coated all over and ready to go. You'll need to use a vegetable or corn oil to fry them, olive oil doesn't get hot enough. Heat up the oil in a shallow pan or frying pan until really hot and then throw in the squid a few at a time, until lovely and crispy.

Scoop them into a bowl, sprinkle some chopped coriander over the top and dive in with fingers or forks.