Fried calamari is becoming more and more popular as a shared appetizer at home and in restaurants. It is easier than you think to make, the trick is in finding the prepared squid in your local grocery store's seafood department or local fish market. It is important to just "flash" fry the squid for only a minute, or it will become tough. Here, I serve it with cocktail sauce, but you can serve it with marinara sauce or whatever you prefer.
Fried Calamari with Cocktail Sauce
(Serves 4 as a shared appetizer.)
• 1 quart peanut oil
• 1/2 pound squid, tubes and tentacles
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour blend)
• 1/4 cup plain cornmeal
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cocktail sauce, recipe follows
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| Fried Calamari with Cocktail Sauce |
Place the peanut oil in a large, deep sauce pan or Dutch oven and place over medium-high heat. Heat oil until it reaches 350°F.
Place the flour and the cornmeal into a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine.
In small handfuls, dredge the squid in the flour and cornmeal mixture and shake off the excess. In batches, gently lower the squid into the hot oil, don’t overload the pan. Cook for 1 minute. The squid should be a light golden color. Remove the squid and transfer to a cooling rack turned upside down set over a paper towel-lined sheet pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Repeat until all of the squid is cooked. Make sure to check the temperature of the oil before adding each batch to ensure it is 350°F. Serve immediately with cocktail sauce, lemon wedges or marinara sauce.
Cocktail Sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
In a small bowl add the ketchup, chili sauce, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Stir until well combined. If not using right away, chill until ready to use.
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