Ginger squid salad

Ingredients

• 600gm small squid
• 4 red shallots, finely sliced
• 8 Thai basil leaves, shredded
• 8 perilla leaves, shredded
• 12 Vietnamese mint leaves, shredded
• 100gm bean sprouts, trimmed
• 2 tbsp salted cashews, chopped
• 4 tbsp fried shallot slices
• dipping sauce
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, sliced
• 1 small red chilli, chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, chopped
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 3 tsp caster sugar
• 3 tsp lime juice

Method

1. To make the ginger sauce, pound the ginger, garlic and chilli in mortar and pestle to make a paste.
2. Mix with the remaining ingredients together and stir till sugar has dissolved.
3. Taste for balance of flavours and adjust if necessary. Set aside. 
4. Clean the squid and rinse tubes and cleaned tentacles under cold running water. Split each squid tube open and flatten out onto board and slice into thin strips lengthwise. 
5. Drop the squid strips into a pot of boiling water and cook for 20 secs then strain through sieve. 
6. Toss the hot squid through the ginger sauce till combined. 
7. Stir through the shredded herbs and bean sprouts. 
8. Spoon salad into bowls and sprinkle over the cashew nuts and fried shallot slices. 
9. Add the sliced shallots and stir to combine.