Make Fried Calamari
Calamari is the name of a type of squid, but the name has become synonymous with a method of preparing squid so that it is cut into rings and fried. Fried calamari is typically a Mediterranean dish, which is usually served with salt and lemon. It cooks very quickly, and becomes tough and rubbery if it is cooked for too long. Here are a few steps on how to make fried calamari.
Steps
- Choose squid that smells fresh, that feels dense and has undamaged tentacles and body. Use a pack of frozen squid and not squid that was thawed overnight in a fridge enough to begin melting. Bacteria will multiply faster in squiddy water at 1°C than squiddy ice at 0°C.
- Run cold water over it to hurry its thawing until no ice or a small amount of ice remains. The faster it thaws, the less time it has to pick up a smell before you start cutting it into rings, which is a sign that it might go bad after more time goes by.
- Take the squid body in 1 hand and pull the head and tentacles away from it with the other.
- Remove the piece of cartilage from inside of the body, and throw it away.
- Hold the body with 1 hand and use the other to pull away the flaps and remove the skin.
- Clean the squid by rinsing it under cold water, and then attempt to dry it as much as possible. The drier the squid is the crispier it will be when it is fried.
- Cut the body into rings ⅓ to 1/2 inch (0.8 to 1.3 cm) thick, and leave the tentacles whole or cut them in half if they are too large.
- Place a large saucepan on the stove over medium heat.
- Add enough vegetable oil to the saucepan so that it is 3 inches (7.6 cm) deep, and allow it to heat to 350 degrees F (176 C).
- Combine 2 cups (454 g) of all-purpose flour, 2 tbsp. (28 g) of dried parsley, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl.
- Place a few pieces of calamari into the flour mixture when the oil has reached its temperature, coat the calamari and then place it in the pan to fry.
- Turn the calamari once it is golden and crispy on 1 side, and then fry on the other side. Each batch should fry quickly in about 1 minute.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the calamari from the hot oil and place it on a plate covered with a paper towel.
- Repeat the frying process with small batches of calamari until it has all been fried and drained.
- Season the calamari with salt while it is still hot, and serve with lemon and tomato sauce.
Tips
- Thoroughly dry the calamari before dredging it in the flour mixture. Excess moisture will cause the hot oil to splatter and the calamari will not become crispy.
- If you are storing your calamari before using it, clean the squid, remove the head, cartilage and flaps and cover it in plastic wrap. Fresh squid should last in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
Warnings
- Don't dump salt into the bin to hurry the thawing. It's really dangerous. Just because the water in the bin is at 0°C before you dump the salt doesn't mean the salt won't lower the temperature giving you frostbite. The salt will melt the ice but the melting will absorb heat lowering the temperature. The lowest temperature salt can possibly lower the temperature of water to in the presence of ice is -21.12°C.
Things You'll Need
- Vegetable oil
- 2 cups (454 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp. (28 g) dried parsley
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 lemons
- 1 cup (237 ml) tomato sauce
- Large saucepan
- Large bowl
- Slotted spoon
- Paper towels
- Plate
