Stir-fried squid with Thai basil
Scored squid flash-fried over a high heat with a big handful of Thai basil added at the end — fragrant, springy and so aromatic it lifts the mood.
- 20 min
- Serves 2
- Stir-fry
- Easy
Why it suits you: Qi-stagnant types are prone to low moods, a tight chest and frequent sighing, and Liqiu's muggy heat, along with autumn's melancholy, makes moving qi all the more important. Thai basil is pungent and aromatic, moving qi and blood and waking the appetite — its scent alone is reviving; squid nourishes yin and the stomach. Flash-fried, it's springy, light and great with rice.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 5 min- 1Peel the skin off the squid and remove the innards and quill. Rinse, pat dry, score the inside in a criss-cross pattern and cut into pieces.
- 2Pick the basil leaves, wash and drain. Mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and sesame oil into a sauce.
- 3Blanch the squid in boiling water for 10 seconds until it curls, then drain at once — this stops it releasing water in the wok.
- 4Heat the oil and fry the ginger, garlic and chilli until fragrant. Toss in the squid over a high heat, splash in the wine, add the sauce and stir well, then add the basil and toss briefly until fragrant.
Cautions
- Squid is high in cholesterol, so keep portions small if yours is high; avoid it if seafood disagrees with you.
Chef's tips
- Blanching the squid for 10 seconds first keeps it springy and stops it going watery; add the basil last, as it blackens and loses its scent if cooked too long.
The TCM view
Thai basil is pungent, warm and aromatic, dispelling wind, moving qi, resolving damp and invigorating the blood — its fragrance disperses constraint. Squid is sweet, salty and neutral, nourishing yin and the stomach; ginger and garlic are pungent and warm, settling the stomach and removing fishiness; a little chilli helps move qi and stir the appetite. Aromatic and moving, it suits qi stagnation.
