Fresh Whole Raw Baby Squid

Whole baby squid, cleaned and left intact — mantle, head and all ten arms still together. The mantles carry a fine speckle of reddish brown over cream, the eyes sit bright and clear in the head, and the arms are lined with two neat rows of pale suckers. A few are opened at the top, showing the pale roe packed inside.

Small squid are the tender end of the family, and they reward speed: score the bodies, then hit them in a hot pan or a wok for a minute or two until they curl and turn opaque. Past that they tighten. Drop them whole into a seafood hotpot, grill them with a chilli and garlic glaze, or blanch and dress them cold with sesame and spring onion.

• Whole baby squid, cleaned, head and arms on
• Speckled reddish-brown mantle over cream
• Arms with two rows of suckers, roe visible in some
• Hot and fast: pan-fry, grill, hotpot or blanch

Net weight 500g. Keep frozen at -18°C or below. Cook thoroughly before eating.