I truly love fried calamari. Probably I could eat it every day. Just pop it like popcorn for a snack! Yet, I don’t make it that often. Most people do not make it at home at all. It is one of those things you get as an appetizer at a restaurant. Well, here at home, I like to pair it with some crunchy fried shrimp and homemade fries and BOOM… it’s dinner.
Here is the amazing crunchy fried shrimp recipe.
Crispy Fried Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb-16/20 shrimp; thawed peeled and deveined
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- dash of cayenne as much as you can handle up to 1/8 teaspoon
- 3 eggs scrambled
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- dash of hot sauce optional
- Oil for frying I prefer canola or vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil for frying to 350 degrees
- In a large shallow dish combine combine the flour and the cornstarch. Then add in the salt, pepper, spices and dried herbs. Mix together lightly with a small whisk or a fork
- In a separate shallow dish, combine the eggs, buttermilk and hot sauce,(if using).
- Pat the shrimp dry before beginning the breading stage. This will help the flour and egg mixtures to better adhere to the shrimp and help from the breading falling off while frying.
- Working in batches, toss the shrimp in the flour mixture, lightly coat and shake off any access. Then toss in the egg mixture until completely combined. Then toss the shrimp back into the flour mixture to fully coat. Shake off any access and carefully place directly into the hot oil.
- You will fry in batches and as they become light golden brown; remove them from the oil onto a paper towel lined sheet tray.
- Continue this process until all of the shrimp have been coated and fried. If you wish to hold them hot until the rest are ready or if making a larger batch; place them on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Then place them in a 200 degree oven while you finish the remainder of the shrimp. This will ensure two things. First that the shrimp do not over cook while holding and second that they do not get soggy as they hold.
- Serve immediately with homemade cocktail sauce or tartar sauce. ENJOY!
You can certainly make it for a starter as well. Even at home for just you and the family. It really is that simple to make. I will even share a couple of quick tips to make sure that it is never fishy and always tender.
Cleaned or Not
Calamari is one of those seafood’s that I think people are afraid of making. It looks and feels strange. If you get it whole it is very labor intensive to clean. I think it turns people off or scares them away from attempting it. I want to walk you through the process of purchasing calamari, the different ways and which is best for which application.
First things first, you can absolutely buy the frozen rings that are already to go. I actually recommend that when you are first becoming familiar with calamari cookery at home. They are simple, straight forward, consistently good and very easy to work with. You can find them in many grocery stores today in the frozen seafood section.
Now, you also may find in that same section the rings and tentacles. If you know that you like the tentacles or would like to try them, by all means… go for it and grab that package. You will essentially treat them the same. However, you will fry them separately due to frying times. We can get into that a bit later though.
You can also find the tubes and tentacles sometimes in the frozen section. These are great if you know that you want both rings and tentacles. If they are not cleaned, when you thaw them, you will need to remove the small little piece of cartilage that is attached to the tube. You can simple grab it with two fingers and peel it off. Then you can proceed with slicing the tube into the desired sized rings.
If the calamari is completely whole, then you need to clean from the head to the tail. This is easiest done by your fish monger. If that is not an option, then check out the “how to clean calamari” blog that is attached.
Different Cuts for Different applications
If you are simply frying the calamari as we are doing here, then the best way to go is with the already to go style. This can be purchased fresh from your fish monger in either just the rings or in rings and tentacles. This can also be purchased frozen in the same way.
If you are looking to grill the calamari, stuff the tubes or even use it in a soup/stew; than I would not go with a frozen variety. I would get that fresh from a reputable fish purveyor. The reason being that the frozen variety, even when thawed, would have too much water content to achieve your best final result in those methods.
Chef Tips
I learned this first tip while working at a high end Italian restaurant and making a LOT of calamari. If you soak your cut calamari, either rings or rings and tentacles for 2 hours and up to over night in a solution of milk and lemon zest; you will always have a tender end product with no fishy flavor. I do this every time I make fried calamari. If I am using the frozen, already cut variety, I thaw it first and then soak it. Otherwise, the fresh gets cut and put right into the solution.
Next trick I learned from my Italian mother in-law. If you salt the oil before you fry the calamari, you do not need to salt it when it comes out of the oil. You get a more evenly seasoned fried calamari as well as a less salty bite.
Best Sauces to serve with Calamari
So, you can serve anything from cocktail sauce, tartar sauce or even spicy aioli with calamari. My favorite dip for calamari will always be the classic marinara sauce. Yet, a like a good tartar sauce or lemon aioli as well. Check out this simple marinara sauce to enjoy along side this calamari.
Fried Calamari
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- 1 pound clean squid with rings and tentacles bodies cut into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick rings
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 2 lemons 1 zested and 1 cut into wedges
- 1-2 tablepsoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 grated parmesan or romano cheese optional
- 1 cup marinara sauce optional
- Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Instructions
- Pour enough oil into a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches. Heat over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Add the kosher salt to the oil
- In a shallow dish, mix the flour and the cornstarch. Working in small batches, drain fully and toss the squid into the flour mixture to coat. Carefully add the squid to the oil and fry until crisp and very pale golden, about 2-3 minutes per batch.
- Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the fried calamari to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
- Sprinkle with the grated cheese,( if using) and the chopped parsley.
- Place the fried calamari and lemon wedges on a clean plate. Serve with the marinara sauce. ENJOY!
