Fried Calamari
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.
This recipe comes from my cousin Sal, and includes his trick of combining semolina flour with the usual all purpose flour, to “give it a really nice texture”. Fried Calamari is one of the most important dishes in his Christmas Eve Feast of The Seven Fishes. “Wouldn’t be Christmas Eve without it.”
Fried Calamari
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
Fried calamari is one of those dishes thatās simple but incredibly satisfying. The texture is perfect, the flavor is rich but not overpowering, and it pairs so well with sauces.