Fried Calamari has become ubiquitous, I see people ordering it everywhere from pizza places, to the local sports bar alongside a plate of Buffalo Wings. It perturbs me to see the dish lowered down to the level of deep fried bar food. Sometime I even catch myself raising an eyebrow when I see it on the menu of a fine Italian restaurant, I have gotten so used to seeing it slumming. The fact of the matter is when it is made with care and quality ingredients, served with a good marinara sauce it is as far away from that greasy bar fare as you can get.
Serves 4-6 as an appetizer
vegetable oil, for deep frying
1 pound clean squid with tentacles, bodies cut into 1/3 to 1/2-inch-thick rings
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup semolina flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups marinara sauce
2 lemons cut into wedges
- Pour enough oil into a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches. Heat over medium heat to 375 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, combine flours, salt and pepper.
- Working in small batches, dredge the squid in the flour mixture to coat. Carefully add the squid to the oil and fry until crisp and golden brown, about 1 minute per batch.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.
- Serve with marinara sauce and lemon wedges.
