Chilli salt squid, South African nectarine, fragrant salad, nuoc cham, preserved lemon

Serves 4

Chilli salt squid
400g cleaned squid and tentacles
200g cake flour
4tbs salt
2tbs ground white pepper
8tbs red chilli powder

Nectarine salsa
4 x South African nectarines peeled

 Nectarine salsa dressing
2 chilli minced
2 cloves garlic minced
100ml lime juice
60g palm sugar
80ml fish sauce
20ml rice wine vinegar

Sweet and sour herbs
20g coriander
20g Vietnamese mint
20g Thai basil
20g basil
20g mint
20g holy basil
40g bean sprouts
40g thinly shaved radish
40g carrot julienne

Nuoc cham
2 long red chillies seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 tbs palm sugar
2 tbs lime juice
3 tbs water
3 tbs Thai fish sauce
2 tbs rice wine vinegar

Lime aioli
2 eggs
Juice of ½ lime
1 garlic cloves, grated
10ml Dijon mustard
Salt
200ml canola oil

1. Mix together the chilli salt ingredients (not the squid) and set aside

2. Peel and cube the South African nectarines

3. Mix and emulsify the salsa dressing ingredients and set aside

4. Toss together the sweet and sour herbs

5. Mix together Nuoc Cham ingredients and cook down slowly

6. Dice the preserved lemon

7. Blend together the lime aioli ingredients – eggs, lime juice, garlic and mustard and then gradually add oil until emulsified and thick

8. Fill pan with oil and allow temperature to reach 180 degrees c

9. Dip squid and tentacles in chilli salt and deep-fry in oil until crisp and drain on paper towel

10. Dress the nectarine with salsa dressing

11. Dress plate with aioli and Nuoc Cham, preserved lemon and lime slice

12. Gently place salad on plate, top with nectarine salsa, top with squid

Recipe created by Reuben Riffel, head chef at Reuben’s restaurant, Franschhoek, South Africa