Yotam Ottolenghi's white peppercorn squid, plus curried potato salad recipes

White pepper squid with mint tabbouleh Chefs don't use white pepper just to avoid spoiling the whiteness of pommes purée or béchamel. It has a more peppery aroma, with sharpness and sweetness, too. The heat level varies, so use it to taste. Serves four. For the tabbouleh 30g bulgur wheat 30g mint, finely shredded 30g parsley, finely shredded 150g celery, finely chopped 50g pomegranate seeds 3 tbsp lemon juice 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp ground allspice Salt For the squid 1.3kg squid (700g cleaned weight) 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 1 tbsp white peppercorns, crushed fine with a pestle and mortar 1 tbsp corn flour 2 tbsp plain flour 3 tbsp dry breadcrumbs 4 tbsp coriander stalks, finely chopped ½ tsp caster sugar ¾ tsp salt 1 free-range egg, beaten 50ml milk 500ml groundnut oil Pour boiling water over the bulgur and leave for 10 minutes. Drain, transfer to a bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Mix and season to taste. Clean the squid (or get the fishmonger to do it for you), so you're left with the tentacles and an intact body. Cut from top to bottom of the body, and open it out with the inside facing you. Gently score in parallel lines about 1cm apart, taking care not to cut through the skin. Repeat at 30 degrees to the first scoring, to get a diamond pattern, then cut into 5cm square pieces and pat dry. In a shallow bowl, mix the garlic, white pepper, corn flour, plain flour, breadcrumbs, coriander, sugar and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Throw in a little pepper mix to check that the oil sizzles, then reduce the heat to medium. Dip the squid pieces in the egg/milk, then toss in the pepper mix to coat well. Shake off the excess and fry for up to one minute, turning once, until lightly golden; do this in batches, making sure not to overcook the squid. Transfer each batch to paper towels. Serve at once with the tabbouleh. Curried potato salad (V) Delicious just as it is, though non-vegetarians might like the idea of stirring in 70g or so of white crab meat at the end. Serves four. 400g cherry tomatoes, halved 1 tsp brown sugar 1 tsp dried mint ½ tsp salt 1 tbsp olive oil 1kg baby potatoes, peeled and halved 2 tbsp sunflower oil 1 tsp black mustard seeds 1 tsp coriander seeds 2 tsp curry powder 130g Greek yoghurt 70g mayonnaise 60g samphire, blanched 40g spring onion, thinly sliced 3 heads baby gem lettuce, shredded into 2cm wide slices 2 tbsp coriander, roughly chopped 2 tsp lime juice Heat the oven to 130C/260F/gas mark ½. Put the tomato halves cut side up on a lined baking tray, sprinkle with sugar, mint, salt and oil, and bake for an hour, until they've lost much of their moisture. Leave to cool. Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes, until soft but not falling apart, and drain. In a large frying pan, heat the oil on medium heat and fry the spuds for 10 minutes, stirring and scraping – they'll colour and break up a bit. Toast the seeds and curry powder in a dry pan, crush to a powder and stir into the yoghurt and mayo. Gently mix together the potatoes, tomatoes and dressing, along with the remaining ingredients. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve. • Yotam Ottolenghi is chef/patron of Ottolenghi and Nopi in London.