Spicy stir-fry squid

Cut the garlic chives into 2 inch stalks and the red chili pepper into small pieces.

Thinly slice an inch of ginger and four cloves of garlic; half the ginger, two cloves of garlic and one shallot go into a blender and the rest is reserved for the stir fry.

Blend the ginger, garlic and shallot finely, then stir the minced aromatics with a tablespoon of oil in a saucepan over medium heat a few minutes until slightly golden at the edges.

Add a tablespoon of chili flake, then the soy sauce, oyster sauce, chili crisp, hoisin, cumin and chicken bouillon powder.

Add 2 tbsp water, stir well and let it mingle over low heat for a minute; set the sauce aside.

Tear the head from the body, pulling the guts out with it, and discard the guts and the plastic-looking quill.

Rub the edge of the skin loose and pull it off, which is optional but makes the squid more tender, then tear off the fins.

Slice the hood lengthwise and open it inside up; cut parallel diagonal lines about halfway into the flesh, then the opposite direction for a crisscross, on the inside because the squid curls from the inside out.

Cut the scored squid into 1.5 inch rectangles, do the same with the fins, and cut the cleaned tentacles into bite-sized pieces.

Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium heat and blanch the squid for only 10 seconds; blanching removes the slimy liquid and the fishy smell.

Heat the wok until smoking hot on high, add a drizzle of oil with the reserved ginger, garlic, shallot and chili and stir a minute until fragrant.

Keep the heat high, add the blanched squid and stir 1 minute 20 seconds, then add the sauce and the garlic chives and mix 30 seconds more: two minutes in total, or the squid turns rubbery.