Lime and Chilli Calamari and Sweet Chilli Sauce

For the Sauce

• juice from a small tin of pineapples (150ml)
• 3 tsp sugar dissolved in 100 ml water
• 1/2 level tbsp tomato puree
• 2-3 capfuls white wine vinegar
• 1 large red chilli, chopped very finely
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• dash chilli oil
• up to 2 tbsp cornflour paste (2 tbsp flour with just enough water to make it into a paste)

1. Put the juice and sugared water into a small saucepan. Warm gently and stir until the sugar is totally dissolved.
2. Add the puree, garlic and the chillies, stir and allow to infuse for a few minutes
3. Add the flour paste a little at a time, stirring vigourously until you have a medium-thick sauce.
4. Trickle in the vinegar, tasting as you go along to make sure it doesn’t become too tart.
5. Finally, trickle in a tiny bit of chilli oil and stir until smooth.
6. Keep warm while you make the calamari and accompaniments

For the Calamari

• 2 medium squid tubes (around 200g each)
• 5 tablespoons corn flour
• chilled soda water
• zest and juice of two limes
• teaspoon of finely crushed chilli flakes
• oil for deep frying

1. Cut the squid tubes into rings, about 0.5cm thick. Toss in the lime juice and leave to marinade for around 15 minutes
2. Make the batter. Put the flour in a small bowl and stir in the chilli and lime zest. Mix in the soda water a little at a time until you have a smooth batter with the consistency of double crream.
3. If you don’t have a deep fryer (I certainly don’t) Get a wide, deep saucepan and fill it around half full with sunflower or vegetable oil. Heat this until the oil is very hot but not smoking. A good test is to chuck in a small piece of day old bread, which should brown in around 1 minute.
4. Have some kitchen paper ready (a plate covered with a layer of paper 3 sheets thick is what I use) for draining
5. Take 4 rings of squid,pat them dry with dome kitchen roll. Dip them in the batter and, use a wooden spoon to lower them into the hot oil. Be wary of spluttering, although this shouldn’t happen if the squid was dry before you battered it.
6. Use the wooden spoon to move the rings around gently until they are golden brown.
7. Use a slotted spoon to remove the squid from the pan and drain it on the kitchen paper.
8. Repeat with the rest of the squid, frying in small batches.