Phu Quoc is known for their sweet tasting squids.  You can see the locals fishing for these jewels right at the dock.  They taste incredibly sweet due to the pristine water surrounding the island.  We were lucky to have these local treats cooked by our first mate on our boat.

Click on the link here to read all about our adventures in Phu Quoc. In today’s post, we will recreate the classic Phu Quoc’s style squid simmered in a lemongrass, pineapple and thai basil sauce.  This is a wonderful dish to serve at a dinner party because it is so simple. All you have to do is put it together and let it simmer before you serve.

This recipe serves 2 people and is rated easy.

Ingredients

1 pound of whole squids (cleaned, remove all of the guts)

½ cup of large sliced lemongrass (substitute with frozen lemongrass, available at asian supermarkets in the frozen food aisle)

½ cup of cubed pineapple (from can)

½ cup of diced Thai Basil

1 cup of water

1 tablespoon of fish sauce

1 tablespoon of pineapple syrup (from can)

A pinch of red pepper flake for color

Direction

Slice the lemongrass stalk at a diagonal so you can get large slices (1-2 inches in diameter).

Heat up a pan and lightly coat it with olive oil.

Once the pan is hot, add the lemongrass.  Stir the lemongrass around for a few minutes. The heat releases the lemongrass fragrance and essence.

Add the pineapple chunks, basil and squid (whole) to the pan.

Add water and a tablespoon of pineapple syrup to the pan.

Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for color.

Simmer until the squid is cooked.  You can tell when the squid  is cooked when the flesh has turned white and firm, but still soft.  Do not overcook the squid because it will become tough and rubbery.

Add 2-3  whole red thai chili for color and for a slight hint of spice.

Serve warm.  You can also remove the squid and slice it into small bites before serving.

For more recipes, visit our EAT page or Recipe Index.

Authors:  Thai-Anh Hoang, Henry Nguyen and Chau Hoang