Easy Calamari Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to cooking calamari? ›

Soak the rings in a solution of salted milk for 30 minutes (refrigerated) before cooking. I shared this earlier, but this is the trick to tenderizing the calamari meat and it also helps tame the fishy taste. For crispy fried calamari, coat the rings in a mixture of flour, cornstarch, and baking powder!

I also soak my calamari in a water, baking soda, and salt bath for 15 minutes before frying to help ensure a more tender texture. Some people prefer to soak in milk as the lactic acid helps to tenderize the calamari. If you choose to do this, use enough milk to cover the calamari. This will also yield a thicker batter.

Fry squid in hot oil until light brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not overcook, or squid will be tough. Drain squid on a paper towel-lined plate. Serve with lemon wedges.

The secret is in marinating the calamari in milk overnight!

Dairy products like yoghurt and milk are the best natural tenderisers. Cut your squid into rings and place with the tentacles in a large mixing bowl.

4 Rinse squid body and tentacles before cooking. Slice body crosswise into rings for salads and soups.

There's no need to boil the calamari before frying, this will make it tough. Set up a dredging station with the whisked eggs in one shallow bowl, and the whisked flour mixture in another. Cover the squid rings in the whisked eggs, then cover with flour. Fry in oil over medium heat until golden and cooked through.

Properly cooked calamari should be tender, with a slightly firm yet yielding texture. It should not be tough or chewy. Overcooking causes the proteins in the squid to contract excessively and expel moisture, leading to a less desirable, rubbery consistency. If calamari is chewy, it is typically overcooked.

Fried calamari gets tough when even slightly overcooked. The trick is to thaw and bring to room temperature before frying. Soak them in water and baking soda for an hour. Clean them in cold water then dry them.

Dredge the cut up calamari in seasoned flour, making sure it is well coated, and shake off the excess. If you have a sifter, that'll make the job easier. Assuming you've got a sifter, dredge the calamari in flour, throw it into the sifter and shake it until all of the excess flour falls through.

What's the Best Oil to Fry Calamari In? Any high-smoke-point oil — like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil — will work for frying calamari. I recommend an oil with a very mild flavor so that the delicate calamari flavor shines through.

How do you tenderize calamari overnight? ›

Alternatively, tenderise by soaking the squid in milk overnight, covered and refrigerated. Before cooking, bring the squid to room temperature and pat it dry with paper towel. James says if the meat is cold and wet, it will steam and make the meat chewy.

Fried calamari gets tough when even slightly overcooked. The trick is to thaw and bring to room temperature before frying. Soak them in water and baking soda for an hour. Clean them in cold water then dry them.

Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet.

If you've ever seen a high-volume restaurant or fast-food chain kitchen in action, you'll notice that they keep deep-fried foods like crispy, fried chicken wings on perforated trays that act in much the same way as the cooling rack and baking sheet combination.