Ginger squid salad

Method

1. The night before you make the salad, finely slice the Thai shallots into long, petal-shaped pieces, then put into a bowl of cold water and leave covered and refrigerated to extract the strong onion flavour. Drain well before using.

2. To make the salad, cut the squid body open and lay it out flat. With a sharp knife make diagonal score marks across the surface, being careful not to cut straight through.

3. Bring a pan of water to the boil, and add the squid and rice vinegar and cook at a gentle boil for about 15 minutes, or until tender (the squid should not be rubbery).

4. Drain and finely slice the squid on an angle, so you end up with thin slivers.

5. Grate the ginger with the chillies or pound together in a pestle and mortar to make a paste. Toss the squid with the drained onion and nuoc cham, then toss with the herbs.

6. Place in a bowl, spooning over the ginger paste and finishing with the crushed peanuts and crispy shallots.