Muc Nuong Muoi Ot (Grilled Squid with Chili Salt), Made with Monk Fruit Sweetener
Vietnamese dishesGrilled DishesNationwide30 minutes marinating, 10 to 15 minutes grilling
Muc nuong muoi ot sounds simple and goes wrong easily. It is good when the surface chars slightly while the flesh stays sweet and springy. The difficulty is that squid cooks in moments, and a few minutes too long turn it rubbery.
The coarse salt and kOBE Monk Fruit Blend are toasted dry in a pan before being pounded with the chili, which makes the mixture cling far better. The squid is scored in a dragon scale pattern and marinated for exactly 30 minutes.
This batch weighs about 895g, at roughly 85 calories per 100g.
Method
Choose fresh squid with a glossy body, deep brown markings and firm flesh that springs straight back without leaving a dent.
Pull out the quill and ink sac, cut away the eyes and beak, peel the skin if you prefer, and wash the squid inside and out.
Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lime over the squid, add a little coarse salt and rub gently to clean it and clear any smell, then rinse and drain.
Score the squid in diagonal lines to make a dragon scale pattern, which helps the seasoning in and looks better off the grill.
Make the chili salt: heat a pan, toast 2 tablespoons coarse salt and 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dry, turn off the heat and tip them into a mortar. Seed the chilies and pound them together with the salt and the blend.
Put 800g squid in a bowl, add the chili salt mixture, toss well and leave it for 30 minutes.
Over charcoal, set the rack about 17cm above the coals and grill for about 5 minutes a side, brushing on the marinade repeatedly to keep the squid from scorching. In an air fryer, preheat to 180 degrees C for 3 minutes, grill one side for 10 minutes, turn it and finish at 200 degrees C for 5 more minutes.
Once the squid is golden and fragrant, move it to a plate, cut it into bite sized pieces and serve it hot with lettuce, cucumber, Thai basil and mint.
Tips
Over charcoal, keep the rack away from the coals or the squid chars outside while the inside is still raw.
The hotter the fire, the further the rack has to sit, around 17cm is about right.
Choose squid with a milky white body that feels firm and springy to the touch.
Toast the coarse salt completely dry before pounding it with the chili, since damp salt will not cling to the squid.
Score about halfway through the thickness of the body, since cutting all the way through makes the pieces curl up tight.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.