Oh man. This is soooo good. Nutritious...not so much; delicious...absolutely! This is one of my husband and my favorite dishes to make. If you can find fresh or frozen calamari (squid) for a good price ($5-$7/pound), I definitely recommend it! I'm also a HUGE fan of grilled calamari, with just a bit of olive oil, cracked black pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, but husband prefers the crunch of fried, and I don't exactly "mind" it either!
When it comes to frying foods at home, (and anywhere else, actually!), it's really important that the oil be both the right kind of oil and the right temperature. Without going into too much crazy detail, every oil has a different smoke point, the point at which it begins to break down and, well, smoke. If you're working with an oil with a relatively low smoke point (olive oil), it will begin to break down, become unstable, and smoke (increasing your risk for a fire) at a lower temperature. Peanut, soy, and canola oil all have higher smoke points, hence when they are used a lot for frying. When you fry foods, you want to make sure you get the oil to the right temperature, which means a good candy/oil thermometer is pretty much essential. You can get a good one for pretty cheap. Why is the temp so important? Well, the lower the temperature, the longer it takes to cook the food you're trying to fry, which means the food is in the oil longer, absorbs more, and becomes more fatty and unhealthy. When done correctly, very little oil actually gets absorbed into the food/breading at all!
For this recipe, the oil should be heated to 375* and maintained there. So, in between batches, you might have to pause and allow the oil to come back up to temperature.
Sweet and Spicy Calamari
makes enough for a large entree for 2 or an appetizer for probably 4-5
loosely adpated from an epicurious recipe
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 Tbs red pepper flakes
1/4-1/3 cup chopped peppadew peppers (pickled cherry peppers can be substituted; you can usually find the peppadews around the olive bar section of the grocery store or jarred near the olives; they are also GREAT on pizzas and nachos...)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or regular or whole wheat pastry)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lbs fresh or thawed calamari, cleaned and cut into 1/2-inch-wide rings
1/2 cup milk
Frying oil
Heat your oil in a large skillet or saucepan (we like to use the pan because the sides are higher and help keep the oil spittage down!) - add enough oil so that in comes up about 1-2 inches on the side of the pan. Heat to 375*.
Meanwhile, heat your olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the red pepper flakes and stir quickly for about 30 seconds. Add the peppadew peppers and stir for another 30 seconds. Remove from heat and squeeze the lemon juice over top. Set aside.
Mix the flour, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. In another small bowl, pour your milk. When your oil is up to temp, dip a handful of the calamari rings quickly into the milk, let excess drip off back into the bowl for just a moment, and then toss into the flour mix, again shaking off the excess. Place into the hot oil and allow to fry until crisp, about three minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined pan. Repeat until all your calamari is fried. (you can place the tray in a warm oven to keep the calamari crisp and warm while you finish all the batches)
Place fried calamari in a serving bowl, drizzle with pepper mixture, and toss until evenly coated. Give a few squirts of lemon juice over the top and serve! Goes great with a light, fresh, crispy salad like this one.
For this recipe, the oil should be heated to 375* and maintained there. So, in between batches, you might have to pause and allow the oil to come back up to temperature.
Sweet and Spicy Calamari
makes enough for a large entree for 2 or an appetizer for probably 4-5
loosely adpated from an epicurious recipe
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 Tbs red pepper flakes
1/4-1/3 cup chopped peppadew peppers (pickled cherry peppers can be substituted; you can usually find the peppadews around the olive bar section of the grocery store or jarred near the olives; they are also GREAT on pizzas and nachos...)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or regular or whole wheat pastry)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lbs fresh or thawed calamari, cleaned and cut into 1/2-inch-wide rings
1/2 cup milk
Frying oil
Heat your oil in a large skillet or saucepan (we like to use the pan because the sides are higher and help keep the oil spittage down!) - add enough oil so that in comes up about 1-2 inches on the side of the pan. Heat to 375*.
Meanwhile, heat your olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the red pepper flakes and stir quickly for about 30 seconds. Add the peppadew peppers and stir for another 30 seconds. Remove from heat and squeeze the lemon juice over top. Set aside.
Mix the flour, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. In another small bowl, pour your milk. When your oil is up to temp, dip a handful of the calamari rings quickly into the milk, let excess drip off back into the bowl for just a moment, and then toss into the flour mix, again shaking off the excess. Place into the hot oil and allow to fry until crisp, about three minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined pan. Repeat until all your calamari is fried. (you can place the tray in a warm oven to keep the calamari crisp and warm while you finish all the batches)
Place fried calamari in a serving bowl, drizzle with pepper mixture, and toss until evenly coated. Give a few squirts of lemon juice over the top and serve! Goes great with a light, fresh, crispy salad like this one.
