Perfect Fried Calamari
- 1 lb cleaned calamari tubes cut into rings , and tentacles left whole
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk or milk
- vegetable or canola oil for deep frying
- marinara sauce, lemon wedges, or aioli for serving
1) Place the calamari into a bowl with the lemon juice, and let sit for 30 minutes.
This will tenderize the calamari.
2) Preheat frying oil to 375 degrees F, either in a deep fryer or a large cast iron pot, no more than 1/2 full.
3) In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, cayenne, paprika, and salt.
Add half of this mixture to another medium bowl. Place the buttermilk or milk in a third bowl.
Place the three bowls on the counter in the following order: spiced flour, milk, spiced flour.
4) Remove the calamari from the lemon juice, then dredge each piece in the flour, shaking off any excess,
then into the milk , shaking off the excess, then back into second bowl of flour. Repeat this process with
all calamari.
5) Fry the calamari in batches for about 2-3 minutes total, until golden brown. Then drain on a paper towel
and immediately salt the calamari generously so the salt sticks. Serve with marinara sauce and lemon wedges.
Enjoy!
Nutrition: Calories 351kcal/ Carbs 52g/ Protein 25g/ Fat 3g/ Saturated Fat 1g/ Cholesterol 267mg/
Sodium 64mg/
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