Classic Fried Calamari Recipe. Frozen squid cleaned, coated in seasoned flour, and fried to perfection. Served with a tomato marinara dipping sauce.
Cookbook Feature Recipe: Fried Calamari
New recipe only found in the cookbook….until now! This week I want to highlight this classic fried calamari recipe because it is one of the 80 recipes featured in the cookbook! This is an exclusive new recipe!
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I must admit that seafood is my least favorite food to eat. I have tried many types of seafood and fish; I don’t care for it like I do other food.
This fried calamari recipe is one that I prepare every Christmas Eve (one of the seven fishes!). My entire family looks forward to the fried calamari and it brings me joy to cook that dish for everyone.
I have found that my favorite way to cook the calamari dish is with a bit of seasoned flour on the squid. With this method, the squid fries up perfectly with a light crispy coating. It is amazing with some homemade marinara sauce!
Although I do not care for seafood, I am a bit of a fried calamari snob. It is the one dish I use to determine if an Italian restaurant is good or not.
I am particular about the way the squid is cooked. I like it to be tender, not chewy. I like it to be light and crunchy, not heavy and loaded with breading.
When I go to an Italian restaurant for the first time I always order the fried calamari. I like a classic fried calamari with just a bit of seasoning and crunch. As I have said, let the squid be the feature.
Being traditional I prefer a side of marinara sauce for dipping. If a restaurant has a fancy aioli, spicy red sauce, or even a mayonnaise based sauce, they lose points in my book.
I know, I am a bit of a snob. But if I only really enjoy one seafood dish, I want it to be perfect! At least in my eyes.
How do you like your fried calamari? Have any stories or traditions to share? I would love to hear them. Leave a comment below.
NOTE
Before beginning the recipe remember to read the “Invent Your Recipe” section below for additional suggestions, recipe combinations, or ingredient alternatives.
How To Make This Classic Fried Calamari Recipe
PREPARING THE CALAMARI:
- Begin by rinsing the squid with cold water. Next, separate the squid bodies from the tentacles. Cut the bodies into 1/2-inch rings and leave the tentacles whole.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and ground black pepper and mix well. In small batches, add the squid to the flour mixture and coat thoroughly, ensuring to shake off excess flour. Set the coated squid aside.
COOKING THE CALAMARI:
- In a large pot, add the canola oil and bring to a high heat. When the oil is hot, place the coated squid into the oil in small batches.
- Fry for 5-7 minutes until the squid is golden in color, mixing occasionally to ensure the squid does not stick together.
- Remove squid from oil and strain on paper towels. Repeat the process until all the squid is cooked.
How To Serve This Classic Fried Calamari Recipe
- Place this classic fried calamari on a serving dish and garnish with lemon wedges and fresh parsley.
- Serve with a side of marinara or your favorite dipping sauce.
More Seafood Recipes To Try
Lemon Butter Salmon
Easy Lemon Butter Salmon and sautéed Brussel sprouts. Salmon pan seared in a lemon butter sauce and served with a side of Brussel sprouts.
Lemon Herb Shrimp
Lemon Herb Shrimp. Shrimp sautéed in extra virgin olive oil with oregano, basil, thyme, grape tomatoes, and lemon juice, and server over pasta.
Fried Salmon Bites
Pan Fried Salmon Bites. Salmon cut into bite sized pieces, breaded, and then fried to perfection.
Shrimp with Eggplant
Shrimp with eggplant and fresh mozzarella. Shrimp sautéed in butter with garlic, roasted eggplant, and fresh mozzarella and served with spaghetti.
Southwestern Shrimp
Southwestern Shrimp with zucchini. Shrimp seasoned with chili powder and pan seared with butter and lemon. Served with a side of sautéed zucchini.
Baked Shrimp Scampi
Easy Baked shrimp scampi. Breaded shrimp, baked in a garlic butter sauce. Garlicky, buttery, and full of flavor.
The Recipe
Fried Calamari Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 16 ounces squid cleaned
- 3 cups of canola oil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 4 lemon wedges
Instructions
PREPARING THE CALAMARI:
- Begin by rinsing the squid with cold water. Next, separate the squid bodies from the tentacles. Cut the bodies into 1/2-inch rings and leave the tentacles whole.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and ground black pepper and mix well. In small batches, add the squid to the flour mixture and coat thoroughly, ensuring to shake off excess flour. Set the coated squid aside.
COOKING THE CALAMARI:
- In a large pot, add the canola oil and bring to a high heat. When the oil is hot, place the coated squid into the oil in small batches.
- Fry for 5-7 minutes until the squid is golden in color, mixing occasionally to ensure the squid does not stick together.
- Remove squid from oil and strain on paper towels. Repeat the process until all the squid is cooked.
TO SERVE:
- Place fried calamari on a serving dish and garnish with lemon wedges and fresh parsley.
- Serve with a side of marinara or your favorite dipping sauce.
Invent Your Recipe
Nutrition
INVENT YOUR RECIPE
For this classic fried calamari recipe, I am using seasoned flour for the coating. I highly recommend just using flour because it provides a nice crunchy coating that is also very light. It allows the flavor of the calamari to shine. However, you could use breadcrumbs or cornmeal to coat the squid. If you prefer a heavier coating this will work nicely for you.
Again, I like the flavor of the squid to be the main focus, so I use salt and pepper as the seasoning for the flour. However, you can use whichever seasoning you like. Try some garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, or lemon pepper. These are some suggestions and by no means the only herbs or spices you could use.
Instead of squid this recipe also works well with shrimp, scallops, and fillet of fish. You may need to adjust the cooking time a bit depending on which shellfish or fillet of fish you choose. However, this basic flour dredge works well for all.
For more ideas like this classic fried calamari dish, check out our seafood recipe.
For even more ideas like this classic fried calamari recipe, check out my Pinterest page.
