Fried Calamari Recipe

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This fried calamari recipe is easy to make and does not require a big effort. Crunchy outside and soft inside, you don’t need a complicated batter. Serve it with homemade Aioli, mayonnaise mixed with garlic and a drop of fresh lemon juice, a seafood delight.

What is calamari

In case you get confused, calamari is squid in Italian and Spanish. They are cephalopods, the same family as octopus and cuttlefish, with short legs and a long head. You can find them in different sizes called with different names but the taste is very similar.

If you want to find out more about the difference between squid, cuttlefish and octopus you can read my article: What Are Calamari Squid Cuttlefish and Octopus.

Different ways to make the batter

Fried calamari is a very common starter served in many, if not all, seafood restaurants in Italy. Sometimes they are served with other types of fried seafood, like shrimps, sardines or any other fresh local fish, on the menu it is called Fritto misto di mare.

We usually eat them with freshly squeezed lemon juice and/or a sauce of mayonnaise mixed with fresh garlic called Aioli. Never with ketchup!

The batter I prefer is a very simple mix of flours without eggs or beer or any other seasoning. To make it extra crunchy I add 1 tbsp of semolina flour. If the calamari is fresh, I like to taste the calamari and the coating is used only to give a nice crunch to the bite.

The Aioli and the lemon juice add a perfect contrast to the sweet calamari meat, and that is all you need.

If you want to make mayonnaise from scratch you can find the recipe here, it is very easy and the flavour is so much better.

You can use exactly the same coating for a fritto misto di mare, fried seafood and also serve it with aioli and lemon juice.

Ingredients

• 12 oz – 350 g of calamari
• 1/2 cup – 60 g of flour
• 1 tbsp semolina flour
• 1 tsp salt
• vegetable oil for frying

for serving

• freshly squeezed lemon juice
• aioli ( 1 cup of mayonnaise mixed with 1 or 2 crushed garlic cloves )

How to clean a calamari

Frankly, I recommend asking your fishmonger to clean them for you. It is not difficult to clean them, but kind of disgusting.

Anyway, if you are up to the challenge or got stuck having to clean them, here is how:

1. Detach the legs from the head
2. Remove the eye and the beak from the legs
3. Empty the head from all the organs
4. Make sure you remove the tendon inside the head
5. Scrape off the skin from the head
6. Cut the calamari heads into rings

You can see a video here below: Jump to Video

Making this recipe

1. In a large bowl mix the flour, the semolina flour and the salt
2. Add the calamari rings and mix to make sure they are all completely coated with flour
3. If you have a basket for frying, put the calamari in the basket making sure all the excess flour is removed. Otherwise, shake off the flour by placing the calamari on a sieve ladle
4. Fry the calamari at high temperature turning them so they are evenly cooked
5. Remove once the coating turns into a light golden colour
6. Place on kitchen paper to remove excess oil

7. Serve them immediately while still warm and sprinkle with chopped parsley for decoration
8. Add some lemon wedges on the side and a small ramekin with aioli sauce for dipping

Top Tips

• Ask the fishmonger to clean the calamari for you
• You can use frozen calamari, defrost them first and remove any excess water
• If you like you can add some more flavour to the coating by adding paprika, cumin or even curry
• You can use the same flour mix to coat other seafood to make the fritto misto di mare
• Fry at a high temperature
• Serve when they are still warm

Recipes you might also like

If you are looking for more Italian Seafood recipes, you can check the category: Seafood

Also check the recipes below:

• Stuffed Calamari
• Scallop, Shrimp, Salmon and Cod Fish Pie with a Mediterranean Twist
• Healthy Cod Recipe
• Homemade Paella Seafood And Sausage
• Pasta With Black Ink Cuttlefish Recipe
• Swordfish Wheel
• Baked Swordfish and Braciolette
• Whole Sea Bream Recipe Cooked in Salt
• Warm Octopus Salad “Legs” and Potato

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