Calamari fritti is a classic Italian fried calamari recipe, very easy to make. Squid rings are coated with a simple batter and fried, they remain crispy outside and soft inside. A classic Italian street food you can serve them as seafood appetizers with homemade Aioli, mayonnaise mixed with garlic, and a drop of fresh lemon juice.

Calamari fritti served with aioli and lemon juice

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 with different names, but the taste is very similar.

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

In the calamari fritti recipe, the body of the squid is cleaned and cut into half an inch rings (about 1 cm), coated and deep fried.

Fried seafood is a classic street food of many Italian regions: Venetian, Naples, Palermo. You can read the article Italian Street food by Region.

For more Mediterranean seafood dish, you can find: Stuffed calamari in white sauce, pasta with black ink cuttlefish, warm octopus salad, whitebait fritters frittelle di Neonata

Ingredients

The batter I prefer is a very simple mix of flour without eggs or beer, or any other seasoning. To make it extra crunchy I add 1 tablespoon 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.

Fresh calamari or squid tubes
All-purpose flour
Semolina flour
Salt
vegetable oil for frying

You can use additional seasoning like curry, paprika or cumin but if the calamari are fresh, it is better to keep the seasoning very simple

Dipping sauce for serving

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

You can use a regular pan, but if you are frying a large quantity, I recommend using a deep fryer

Instructions

How to clean calamari

Frankly, if you are using fresh squid, I recommend asking your fishmonger to clean them for you. It is not difficult to clean them, but I rather not.

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

Detach the legs from the head
Remove the eye and the beak from the legs
Empty the head from all the organs
Make sure you remove the tendon inside the head
Scrape off the skin from the head
Cut the calamari heads into rings

You can see a video here below: Jump to Video

Coating and frying

In a large bowl, mix the flour, the semolina flour, and the salt
Add the calamari rings and mix to make sure they are all completely coated with flour
If you have a basket for frying, put the prepared calamari in the basket, ensuring all the excess flour is removed. Otherwise, shake off the flour by placing the calamari on a slotted spoon
Fry the calamari at high temperature, turning them so they are evenly cooked
Remove once the coating turns into a light golden brown color
Place on paper towels to remove excess oil

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

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

How to serve them

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 shrimp, 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 garlicky Aioli and the lemon juice perfectly contrast the sweet calamari meat; that is all you need.

Find the recipe here if you want to make olive oil mayonnaise from scratch and add garlic to make you homemade aioli. It is very easy, and the flavor is so much better.

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 well-seasoned flour, you can add some more flavor to the coating by adding paprika, cumin, or even curry
You can use the same flour mix to coat other fresh 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

For seafood ideas for the Feast of Seven Fishes, check out this Web Story.

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