Description
The king of taverns: squid beaks (tonbi) called 'Dragon Balls', deep-fried crunchy in sweet potato flour, and tossed with peanuts, Taiwanese basil, and pepper salt.
Restaurants serving Deep-fried Squid Mouths
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We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Squid mouths(Dragon balls)
- Sweet potato flour
- Peanuts
- Taiwanese basil
- Garlic
- Five-spice powder
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- Carefully remove the hard black beaks (tonbi) from squid mouths (called Dragon Balls in Taiwan), wash well, and dry.
- Season with soy sauce, wine, grated garlic, and a little white pepper.
- Coat heavily with 'sweet potato flour (Digua Fen)' and wait a few minutes until damp.
- Deep-fry at 180°C for 1-
- mins until the surface is golden and crunchy (short time is crucial as squid toughens easily).
- Right before done, toss massive 'Jiucengta (Taiwanese basil)', peeled peanuts, and sliced garlic into the oil to flash-fry.
- Scoop everything out, drain, and put in a bowl.
- Sprinkle special 'Jiao Yan Fen' (salt, white pepper, five-spice) and toss the bowl vigorously to coat.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
White pepper、Five-spice、and Basil aroma
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Octopus suckers, Potato starch
Pairing
Ice-cold Taiwan Beer exclusively
Trivia
[For Youth] The absolute ace ordered as 'A beer and Dragon Balls to start!' at Taiwanese taverns. The cool name comes from its round, rolling shape. The ultimate snack.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Use a bamboo skewer to pierce a crunchy 'Dragon Ball', a crispy 'peanut', and a crispy 'Taiwanese basil' leaf together, exploding the 3 textures in your mouth!
Allergen
Squid, Peanuts, Soy, Wheat