Crispy Fried Calamari Recipe

Don’t overlook these expert suggestions for soft calamari that isn’t rubbery or greasy, and for a light, golden brown crust. This dish for fried calamari will become your favorite! Make sure to watch the video below and read the entire thing.Crispy Fried Calamari Recipe

Fried calamari, which is typically served hot with a splash of citrus, a variety of dips, and a refreshing drink, such as Spanish Agua de València, is a dish that is typically served in small fish shops or taverns in the Mediterranean and Southern Europe.Crispy Fried Calamari Recipe

According to this article in the New York Times, this dish gained popularity in the 1980s and is now a common starter at the majority of casual dining establishments in the US. However, you can easily prepare deliciously crispy fried calamari at home, so you don’t need to wait for your next get-together with friends to enjoy a dish of it.Crispy Fried Calamari Recipe

Here are some guidelines for my calamari recipe that will guarantee a golden, light crust and soft, non-rubbery squid.Crispy Fried Calamari Recipe

What is calamari?

Is calamari an octopus or squid? The Italian name for squid, which is related to octopus, is calamari. White and solid, squid has a milder, somewhat sweeter flavor that goes well with a wide variety of other ingredients. Less than a dozen of the more than 300 squid species found in the world’s oceans are used in cookery.Crispy Fried Calamari Recipe

Fortunately, squid is not particularly expensive and can be found at most grocery stores. It is typically found in the freezer section, but it is also available at the fish counter. I used frozen, wild-caught, and previously cleaned calamari tubes in this recipe. You can use frozen calamari rings in this dish as well.Crispy Fried Calamari Recipe

How do you tenderize calamari before frying?

One of the most important pieces of advice for today’s fried calamari dish is to soak your squid rings in salted milk for 30 minutes and then chill them to make them softer. This will reduce the fishy odor and help soften the calamari! It also aids in the flour coating’s adhesion to the squid’s meat.Crispy Fried Calamari Recipe

To soften your calamari, just mix 1 teaspoon of kosher salt into 1/2 cup of milk, then add the squid rings to the salted milk solution and chill for 30 minutes. You may also soak the squid in buttermilk or lemon juice to soften it.Crispy Fried Calamari Recipe

5 Tips for the best crispy fried calamari recipe

• Do not cut the calamari rings too thinly. In order to ensure that the calamari is soft on the inside and to give the flour coating enough time to brown and crisp up, I cut my squid tubes into rings that are 3/4 inch thick.Crispy Fried Calamari Recipe
• Soak the rings in a solution of salted milk for 30 minutes (refrigerated) before cooking. As previously mentioned, this is the secret to softening the calamari meat and reducing its fishy flavor.
• For crispy fried calamari, coat the rings in a mixture of flour, cornstarch, and baking powder!The soft squid rings will have a golden-brown, crispy coating.
• Once coated in the flour mixture, allow the squid rings a few short minutes to sit in a colander before frying.In order to prevent the coating from falling off the calamari after it is cooked, this enables the flour to rehydrate. As you wait for the oil to heat up and cook the calamari in batches, the coating will have enough time to adhere, so this will happen organically nevertheless.
• Manage the heat of your cooking oil. Heat the oil to somewhere between 350 and 365 degrees F before cooking the calamari.The more frequent issue with oil temperature is that it’s frequently too low, which causes the calamari to absorb too much of it and get overly chewy or soggy. Additionally, the outside will burn before the inside is cooked through if the oil is overheated. For this reason, controlling the oil’s heat is crucial. This is where an oil thermometer comes in handy, but how can you tell if the oil is ready to fry without one? When a single calamari ring is dropped into the oil, a lot of tiny bubbles should instantly form around it and the calamari and bubbles will start to rise to the top.
• Serve ASAP! When served warm with a generous amount of lemon juice, fried calamari rings taste their finest!Crispy Fried Calamari Recipe

How do you make fried calamari from scratch?

• Slice into rings To begin, cut the cleaned tubes into rings that are 3/4 inch thick, unless you have already purchased calamari rings.

• Soak in salted milk Mix 1/2 cup milk and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a medium bowl. Toss in the squid rings. Put in the fridge for half an hour.

• Dredge

Mix 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon dry oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon each of cayenne and black pepper to make a flour mixture. Transfer a few calamari rings to a colander after tossing them in the flour mixture until thoroughly coated. Continue until the flour mixture has covered all of the calamari.

• Fry and Drain

Heat 4 inches of grapeseed oil in a small saucepan or pot (about 2.5 quarts) to a temperature of 350 to 365 degrees Fahrenheit. When you drop a single calamari ring, the oil is ready if it bubbles and develops around it, causing the calamari to float. The squid rings can now be cooked for 3 minutes, or until golden brown, in batches of about 8 at a time.

Line a tray with paper towels and place a wire rack on it. As the calamari cooks, move the crispy fried rings to the wire rack that has been prepared using a slotted spoon. You may keep the cooked calamari warm by placing them in your oven set to the lowest temperature. One calamari ring dropped into your oil will cause several bubbles to form around it, causing the calamari to start floating.

Can I make this in the air fryer?

Yes, you can create calamari with your air fryer! I’ve done some research and questioned some acquaintances, but I don’t possess an air fryer. Accordingly, after coating the calamari rings in the batter, you have the following choice for air fryer calamari:

• Put the calamari in the basket of your air fryer in a single layer; if necessary, you can do this in batches.Crispy Fried Calamari Recipe
• The calamari should be coated with frying spray.
• Cook the calamari for 8 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, or until it is cooked through and golden.Crispy Fried Calamari Recipe

Serve it with

Calamari, in my opinion, tastes best when served hot with a squeeze of lemon juice and perhaps some marinara (I’ll use any leftover homemade spaghetti sauce) or even Tzatziki sauce for a Greek touch.Crispy Fried Calamari Recipe