Calamari is one of my wife’s favorite appetizers at any restaurant we go to. These fried little squid rings are crunchy,delicious, and full of flavor. Squeeze a little fresh lemon on top and this goes from an appetizer to share to an appetizer you want to eat on your own.
To be honest with you, when it comes to seafood I am always scared to cook it. In my mind it’s so temperamental. You can overcook it so easily and if you under cook it, you have sushi on your plate. But I will say, making this calamari recipe is easy and almost intuitive.
Where can I buy squid?
You can buy squid at your local fish market or in the fish section at your grocery store. I typically buy it at Whole Foods and it’s fairly inexpensive. Just a few squids go a long way when making this dish. The best part about doing this is that the squid typically comes cleaned out and all you have to do is chop it and cook it!
How do you make calamari?
Slice and marinate: Slice the tube of the squid into about ¼ inch thick circles and trim the tentacles off the head of the squid. Place them in a bowl and add your buttermilk and seasoning. Allow the squid to marinate for an hour in the fridge. This will allow the squid to become tender.
Bread: After your squid has been marinating for an hour, combine flour, salt, black pepper, and paprika in a bowl. Remove one piece of the squid at a time from the buttermilk mixture and shake off any excess buttermilk. Place it into the flour and cover the entire squid with flour, making sure that the inside of the ring is floured as well. Repeat until all of the squid is breaded.
Fry: Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 375F. Place your breaded squid into the hot oil, cooking them in small batches at a time. Deep fry for about 1-2 minutes until they are golden brown. Transfer them into a paper towel lined plate. Repeat until all of the squid is cooked.
Serve with lemon and a side of marinara! Enjoy!!
Ingredients
- ½ lb of squid
- 2 tsp of salt
- 1 ½ tsp of black pepper
- 1 ½ tsp of paprika
- 1 cup of buttermilk
- 1 cup of flour
- Oil
- 1 lemon
- Marinara sauce
Instructions
- Slice the tube of the squid into about ¼ inch thick circles and trim the tentacles off the head of the squid. Place them in a bowl and add your buttermilk, 1 tsp of salt, ½ tsp of black pepper, and ½ tsp of paprika. Allow the squid to marinate for an hour in the fridge. This will allow the squid to become tender.
- After your squid has been marinating for an hour, combine the flour, and 1 tsp of each: salt, black pepper, and paprika in a bowl.
- Remove one piece of the squid at a time from the buttermilk mixture and shake off any excess buttermilk. Place it into the flour and cover the entire squid with flour, making sure that the inside of the ring is floured as well. Repeat until all of the squid is breaded. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 375F. Place your breaded squid into the hot oil, cooking them in small batches at a time. Deep fry for about 1-2 minutes until they are golden brown. Transfer them into a paper towel lined plate. Repeat until all of the squid is cooked.
- Serve with a side of lemon and marinara sauce.
🔥🔥 loved it!