Marinating the squid in buttermilk defeats the rubber band effect some fried calamari tends to have.
I’ve always loved getting calamari as an appetizer, but sometimes it’s a bit chewy and difficult to eat. A friend, served this at our weekly girl’s get together and it was perfect, delicious and tender. From the taste and texture, I presumed she either found a special type of calamari to serve, bought something premade and just reheated or found a special time consuming recipe to make it so good.
INGREDIENTS
Calamari
- 1 lb calamari, bodies sliced into ½ inch rings, tentacles left whole
- 1½ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- oil for frying
- chopped parsley for garnish
- lemon wedges to serve
Lemon aioli
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- dash of Tabasco
- salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare lemon aioli by whisking together mayonnaise & Tabasco.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Soak calamari in buttermilk for 20-30 minutes.
- Preheat frying oil to 350 degrees F.
- Combine flour with seasonings from paprika - red chili flakes.
- Dredge calamari in seasoned flour, tossing evenly to coat.
- Carefully drop a handful of the calamari into the hot oil.
- Cook until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes.
- Remove with slotted spoon and transfer to a paper lined baking sheet.
- Repeat with remaining calamari.
- Sprinkle parsley on top. Serve with lemon wedges and lemon aioli.
NOTES
Why buttermilk instead of eggs? The acidity in the buttermilk helps keep the calamari tender and helps create a lighter, crispier batter. So, adding eggs or breadcrumbs is not necessary.
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