EXTRA-CRISPY FRIED CALAMARI With Cheat SAFFRON AIOLI Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep fried calamari crispy? ›

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

In much the same way, putting fried food on a cooling rack means the excess oil will drip off, but there's enough air circulating underneath the food that the bottoms don't get soggy.

Here is one of the biggest tips for today's fried calamari recipe: tenderize your squid rings by soaking them in salted milk and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This will help tenderize the calamari while taming the fishy smell! It also helps the flour coating to stick to the meat of the squid.

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.

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. Cover with milk and then cling film and place in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours.

Cover the squid with milk (use more or less as required. Add garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours (or at least overnight). Drain the calamari and discard the milk.

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

Using a rice flour, cornstarch mix for the coating produces a wonderful light crunchy gluten free Fried Calamari! I substitute a rice flour, cornstarch mixture for all purpose flour and the calamari fry up crunchy and tender.

Texture is everything.

The larger the squid, the tougher it will be. 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.

How can you tell if calamari is cooked? The calamari is ready to be flipped after 2-4 minutes (once it stiffens), and you'll know it's ready to come out of the pan entirely when it turns a really nice golden brown.

Remove the calamari from the lemon juice, then dredge each piece in the flour, shaking off any excess, then into the buttermilk, shaking off the excess, then back into the second bowl of flour. Repeat this process with all the calamari. Fry the calamari in batches for about 2-3 minutes total, until golden brown.

Why does breading fall off calamari? ›

If the oil temperature is too low, the calamari will absorb too much oil and become soggy, or will lose its breading all together. On the other hand, if the oil is too hot, the outside will cook faster than the inside.

Reheating leftover fried calamari in the air fryer is also my preferred method to get crispy results—just pop them in at 400°F for 2 to 3 minutes or until crunchy again. (Psst! This is the air fryer I recommend.)

Follow these serving guidelines once your seafood is cooked and ready to be enjoyed. Never leave seafood or other perishable food out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours or for more than 1 hour when temperatures are above 90°F.