Scuba Squad Recipe

Light marinade

Place fish pieces, shrimp and calamari in a bowl. Add lemon juice, soy sauce, minced garlic, black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of the sea salt. Toss gently to coat. Let sit 10–15 minutes while you prepare the batter and other components—do not marinate longer than 20 minutes to avoid textural breakdown.

After marinating, pat each piece dry with paper towels—this helps the batter and dredge adhere. Reserve any juices for a quick sauce whisk if desired (optional).

Make the cold, airy batter

In a medium bowl whisk together 1.25 cups flour, cornstarch, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. In a separate bowl whisk the egg with the cold club soda. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and gently stir just until combined; small lumps are fine. Keep the batter cold by placing the bowl in an ice bath or adding the ice cubes briefly, then remove the cubes before dipping. The batter should be thin enough to coat but still cling to the seafood.

Set up a dredge station: one shallow dish with 1/2 cup flour seasoned with remaining 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, one with the beaten egg, and one with 1 cup panko breadcrumbs mixed with the sliced scallions and chopped spinach (press the spinach into the panko so it sticks). The green flecks create the 'Squad' visual and mild herb flavor.

For each piece of seafood: first lightly dredge in flour shaking off excess, dip into the cold batter to coat, then press into the panko-spinach mix so a thin crust adheres. For larger fish pieces you can double-dip (batter then panko then a quick second batter and panko) for extra crunch.

Heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a wide sauté pan over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C) or a drop of batter sizzles and browns within ~20–30 seconds. There should be enough oil to shallow-fry and come halfway up the pieces. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding—4–6 pieces per batch depending on pan size.

Carefully place breaded seafood pieces into the hot oil. Fry fish pieces 3–4 minutes per side (total 6–8 minutes) until golden brown and cooked through; shrimp and calamari will cook faster—about 1.5–2 minutes per side—so remove those earlier and transfer to a wire rack to drain. Maintain oil temperature between 325–350°F; lower heat if browning too quickly.

As each batch finishes, transfer to a rack or paper towel-lined tray. Lightly sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt while hot.

Whisk together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, sriracha, lime zest and honey until smooth. Taste and adjust heat or sweetness to preference.

Toss pickled cucumber ribbons with remaining chopped cilantro and the scallion whites (reserve some scallion greens for garnish) to provide a bright, crunchy component.

Plate: arrange fried seafood pieces family-style or as individual portions. Spoon the sriracha-lime mayo on the side or lightly drizzle over certain pieces. Scatter the cilantro-cucumber ribbons and remaining scallion greens over the top. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.