Calamari Fritti

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Posted by Katie on Feb 5, 2010 in Appetizer, Seafood | 0 comments

I found this recipe on a whim last May. I was tasked with making a birthday dinner for my mother in-law, and with only one day’s notice I whipped together what I felt to be an amazing meal. Everyone in my husband’s family loves calamari, and I figured why can’t I try to make it for the dinner as a nice surprise appetizer! I scoured through recipes online until I found what I felt to be the best recipe out there. Since the first day I started making calamari I haven’t switched recipes yet! I love Tyler Florence’s take on calamari, and the dipping sauces that compliment it!

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

1 pound whole squid, cleaned
1 cup milk
1 large egg
6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
Canola oil, for frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons paprika
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges, for serving
Smoked jalapeno aioli, for dipping, recipe follows
Tomato-basil sauce, for dipping, recipe follows

Directions

1. Rinse the squid under cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the body of the squid into 1/2-inch rings and trim the tentacles as necessary.

2. Combine the milk, egg, and basil leaves in a bowl; mix with a fork until lightly beaten. Put the prepared calamari in the milk mixture and stick it in the refrigerator while getting everything else set up; it fries better if marinated and chilled for about 15 minutes.

3. Pour about 2 inches of oil in a fryer or large, heavy pot and heat to 375 degrees F. We have a deep fryer, so I just use this instead and heat it up according to the directions on the box.

4. Mix the flour and paprika in a pie dish or plate; season with a fair amount of salt and pepper. Toss the calamari in the seasoned flour to coat.

5. Fry for 1 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and salt, to taste. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried calamari to paper towels to drain.

6. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and dipping sauces.

Smoked Jalapeno Aioli: this is a great dipping sauce that I make up to two days ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until I am ready to serve the calamari.
Yield: 1 cup

1 cup mayonnaise
1 to 2 canned chipotle Chile in adobo
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Pinch salt

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend for 1 minute to combine. *I add a quarter of the chipotle chile in adobo at a time. If you’ve never cooked with these before they are extremely spicy. Keep adding little bits of the chile and pureeing until you have the spicy consistency that you fancy!

2. Set aside to allow the flavors to marry. Serve as a dipping sauce with fried calamari.

Tomato-Basil Sauce: I love this dipping sauce so much that I’ve adapted it to be my own homemade marinara sauce!

Yield: 2 cups

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 fresh basil leaves, hand-torn
1 (16-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Pinch sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Coat a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of the oil and warm over medium heat. Add the garlic and basil; cook, stirring, until soft.

2. Add the crushed tomatoes and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the remaining olive oil.

3. Serve as a dipping sauce with fried calamari.