Calamari Fritti ( Fried Calamari )
My all time favorite guilty pleasure appetizer: calamari fritti ( fried calamari recipe ). Serve with marinara and fresh lemon slices.
Servings: 8 people
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 lb calamari tubes and tentacles pen removed and tubes cut into ½" rings
- 1.5 cups AP flour
- 2 teaspoon salt plus extra for sprinkling post-fry
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- frying oil enough to fill your cooking pot at least 2" deep with oil
Instructions
- Combine the milk, hot sauce, and calamari in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to tenderize the calamari.
- Drain off the milk, but do not pat the calamari dry. The residual milk will help the flour stick. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl or bag. Toss the calamari in the flour until it is completely coated.
- Pour the oil into a large, heavy bottomed pot and bring it to 340°F.I HIGHLY recommend you use a candy/oil thermometer for this. If you don't have an oil/candy thermometer, you can pick one up at any grocery store or from Amazon.
- Prepare a draining area by laying down several layers of paper towels on a cookie sheet, and have salt ready next to it for sprinkling.
- Shake off any excess flour from the calamari, and in batches, place it into the 340°F oil. Cook for 3 minutes.Make sure each piece has enough room to move about as it fries. Crowding the pot will result in under-browned and soggy fried calamari.
- Remove the fried calamari from the oil and place on the paper towels you prepared earlier. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat until all calamari is cooked.