One of my favorite things to order in a restaurant is calamari. I love it with a very light, crisp coating. This version is adapted from Giada’s, though my calamari is staying away from marinara dipping sauce! Just a few simple ingredients and about 15 minutes is all it takes.
- 1 lb. squid, cut into rings, rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
- Canola oil for frying
- salt
- 1 C. flour
- zest of one lime
- Chili oil to taste
In a heavy saucepan that is not too wide (7 inches or less) pour the oil so that it reaches about 2 inches up the side of the pan. Insert a candy thermometer and heat the oil to 350 degrees. While the oil is heating, prepare the squid by slicing it into rings, rinsing it in cold water, and patting it dry. Season the squid with coarse salt. In a bowl place the flour and some of the squid. Use a Chinese strainer or sieve to scoop up the squid and shake off the excess flour.
Use the same sieve to drop it into the hot oil. The squid only takes about one minute to turn a pale golden brown. That’s when it’s ready to scoop out of the oil and place on a paper towel.
Immediately salt the squid again lightly when it’s hot out of the oil. Fry the rest of the squid in batches after dredging lightly in the flour. Sprinkle the squid with the lime zest and dot the plates with a little chili oil. Delicious!
OMG, I’m so going to make this! Big fan of calamari.
Yay! It was really easy. New Season’s had the squid for about $5 per pound. Be warned, your kitchen may smell like fish for a day, but your cat will love it:)
Yum! I love calamari and love the chili oil twist. Can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks for your blog Carrie, it is wonderful!
I’m so glad you like it! Thanks for reading!