Fried Calamari Recipe
Classic Fried Calamari Recipe. Frozen squid cleaned, coated in seasoned flour, and fried to perfections. Served with a tomato marinara dipping sauce.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 350kcal
Cost: $$$
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.
Notes
INVENT YOUR RECIPE:
For this 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 350kcal