"Don’t be scared of squid. The hardest part, and the most tedious, is cleaning it, but it’s worth your while because calamari is so delicious and great for sharing."
Calamari
5
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Prep time 30mins
Cook time 5mins
Serves or Makes: 4
Recipe Card
ingredients
Calamari
- 4 whole large squid, with tentacles
- 300 milliliter sunflower oil, for frying
- 1 lemon, zested
- 100 gram plain flour
- pinch of flaked sea salt
- grind of black pepper
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Method
Step 1
To prepare the squid, first remove the tentacles by pulling them away from the body. Set aside. The head and the ink sac should come out relatively easily when pulled, along with the clear quill that is inside. It looks like a long piece of plastic. The flaps, or wings as they are also known, now need to be removed along with the purple skin. Peel it all off, and then rinse the entire squid under cold running water.
Step 2
Pat your prepared squid dry with kitchen paper. Slice the tubes horizontally into rings.
Step 3
Pour approximately 3cm of sunflower oil into a large deep frying pan and place on a medium heat.
Step 4
Place the squid rings and tentacles on a large plate. Sprinkle over the lemon zest then squeeze over most of the juice. Mix well.
Step 5
Place the flour into a bowl with a good pinch of salt and pepper, then add the squid and toss to coat. Do this in a few batches until all your squid is coated.
Step 6
Once the oil is hot enough, in batches, using a slotted spoon, carefully lower the squid into the hot oil and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden and crisp on the outside and cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with plenty of kitchen paper to absorb the oil. Repeat the process with the rest of the coated squid.
Step 7
Serve with wedges of lemon and aioli, I added a pinch of saffron to mine here.
ingredients
Aioli
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 250 milliliter sunflower oil
- pinch of flaked sea salt
- grind of ground white pepper
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
For Aioli
Step 1
Place the egg, lemon juice, garlic and mustard into your blender or food processor. Pour the oil in slowly and blend until the mixture is thick and creamy and all the oil has been incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir through. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.