Fried Calamari

My daughter-in-law Erika had to do a calamari practice run her first Christmas cooking. She and her daughter Ali came over. I gave specific instructions. She had to buy the right calamari, fresh and large. They dredged, they fried, under my watchful eye. They did great. We had to make sure they weren’t too chewy or overcooked.

Ingredients:

2 lbs high-quality calamari (squid), cleaned, washed and dried

TIP: When buying calamari, look for fish that is white and slightly translucent. The squid should be intact and uniform, with no patches of iridescence. The skin should be elastic but firm and not slimy.

1 cup flour
Salt and pepper, to taste Olive oil for frying

Procedure:

Cut calamari into rings, leaving tentacles whole. Season flour with salt and pepper. Move the calamari through the flour and shake off excess before frying. Fry until golden in 325°F–350°F olive oil (see page 34 for my olive oil frying secret). Don’t overstuff the fryer. The calamari should move freely. When one side is golden, use a slotted spoon to turn. Fry until other side is golden. Remove from oil and dry on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt while warm.

TIP: Test your oil temperature by sprinkling flour in. If it immediately activates, the oil is ready. If it just sits on top, it’s not.