Taiwanese Deep-Fried Squid Balls

Rinse the squid under running water, then pat dry with paper towels. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik Mince 1 ounce of the squid, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix the remaining squid with the pork, sugar, salt, and ground white pepper. Cover tightly and freeze until partially frozen, about 2 hours. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik In a high-powered blender or food processor, combine the partially frozen pork and squid mixture with sweet potato starch and ice and process on high-speed, scraping down the sides as necessary, until it forms a smooth, sticky, shiny paste, about 3 minutes; it should be completely smooth with no visible lumps of squid or pork or shards of ice. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik Transfer the paste to a large bowl or container and stir in the refrigerated minced squid until evenly incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 or up to 8 hours. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik Bring a large pot of water to a simmer over medium-low heat until tiny bubbles begin to break on the surface of the water. Turn off the heat. Using wet (preferably latex-gloved) hands, grab a handful of the paste and squeeze it up through a hole formed by your index finger and thumb (like making the "okay" gesture) until a golf-ball size ball forms, then squeeze to pinch the ball off and release into the water; make sure to squeeze tightly when shaping the balls to minimize air pockets. Alternatively, using a wet spoon, scoop out golf-ball-size portions of the squid paste mixture and, using a second wet spoon, gently form into a rough ball shape before releasing into the water. When all the squid balls are in the water, turn the heat up to high and bring to a rolling boil, then lower the heat to maintain a brisk simmer and cook until balls are completely cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain the squid balls in a colander and shake to dry. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate and thoroughly pat dry with additional paper towels (it’s important to dry the squid balls as much as possible to avoid splattering when frying). Let air-dry for 15 minutes before frying. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik In a wok or Dutch oven, heat oil over high heat until it reaches 375°F (190°C). Using a spider-skimmer, carefully lower half of the squid balls into the oil. The oil temperature should drop when you add the squid balls; adjust the heat to maintain a frying temperature of 350°F (175°C). Deep-fry, stirring often and carefully breaking apart any balls that have stuck together, until balls are beige and slightly crisp around the edges, about 4 minutes; be careful, as squid balls can pop and spatter during frying. Transfer squid balls to paper towels to drain and repeat with remaining balls. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik Return oil to 375°F (190°C), then add half of the fried squid balls back to oil and fry a second time, maintaining a temperature of 350°F (175°C), until squid balls turn a light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer squid balls to fresh paper towels to drain and repeat with remaining squid balls. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik Season squid balls with ground white pepper and additional salt, if desired. Serve hot. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik