Crispy Calamari
17 people added this to their Recipe Box
The best fried squid, commonly known by the Italian calamari, are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. This requires a thin coating of flour mixture then quick-frying in the proper temperature of oil. There are only a few necessary cleaning steps to remove the tough, inedible bits of squid. Or buy them already cleaned and frozen at fishmongers and some supermarkets. Enjoy them on their own with a squeeze of lemon or with the Basil A?i Dipping Sauce.
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
| Nutritional Info | |
| Per serving: about | - |
| cal | 326 |
| pro | 19 g |
| total fat | 20 g |
| sat. fat | 2 g |
| carb | 17 g |
| fibre | trace |
| chol | 265 mg |
| sodium | 180 mg |
| % RDI: | - |
| calcium | 4% |
| iron | 9% |
| vit C | 1% |
| folate | 12% |
Suggested Recipes
-
1-1/2 lb (750 g) fresh or thawed squid
8 cups (2 L) canola, safflower or other vegetable oil
1/2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose_flour
1/4 cup (50 mL) cornstarch
1/2 tsp (2 mL) cayenne_pepper
1/2 tsp (2 mL) sea salt or salt
1 lemon, cut_into wedges
Preparation:
1- Holding squid tube, pull off head and tentacles; set aside. Rinse squid tubes under cold water, rubbing off purplish skin. Pull out and discard “pen” (clear long plastic-like skeleton) from centre of tubes.
2- On cutting board, pull off and discard fins from tubes. Cut off and discard eyes and head from tentacles, keeping tentacles attached on ring on top; squeeze hard beak from centre of tentacles and discard.
3- Cut tubes crosswise into 1/2-inch (1 cm) wide rings; pat dry. In wok or deep heavy-bottomed pot with oil thermometer, heat oil to 375°F (190°C).
4- Meanwhile, in large plastic bag, shake together flour, cornstarch and cayenne pepper. All at once, add squid tentacles and rings to flour mixture; shake to coat. Transfer to sieve; lightly shake off excess flour mixture.
5- Fry calamari, in batches, until golden, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes.
6- Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel–lined plate. Sprinkle with salt just before serving with lemon wedges.
2- On cutting board, pull off and discard fins from tubes. Cut off and discard eyes and head from tentacles, keeping tentacles attached on ring on top; squeeze hard beak from centre of tentacles and discard.
3- Cut tubes crosswise into 1/2-inch (1 cm) wide rings; pat dry. In wok or deep heavy-bottomed pot with oil thermometer, heat oil to 375°F (190°C).
4- Meanwhile, in large plastic bag, shake together flour, cornstarch and cayenne pepper. All at once, add squid tentacles and rings to flour mixture; shake to coat. Transfer to sieve; lightly shake off excess flour mixture.
5- Fry calamari, in batches, until golden, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes.
6- Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel–lined plate. Sprinkle with salt just before serving with lemon wedges.
Additional Information
- Tip: No oil thermometer? If oil is hot enough, it should bubble vigorously after dropping in one piece of floured calamari, and calamari should turn golden in 1 to 1-1/2 minutes.
Source
Canadian Living Magazine: September 2008
For more great recipes when you're on the go, get Canadian Living Mobile! Access Canadian Living's Tested Till Perfect recipes anytime, anywhere -- and best of all, it's FREE! Get it now: visit m.canadianliving.com on your BlackBerry® or iPhone™.
Comment reported
Thank you for reporting this comment as inappropriate.
Back to Comments »