Calamari is probably one of the easiest and quickest appetizers to prepare. Every time we order calamari in restaurants, I am always surprised on how fast the servers get back to us with the order already with them — still hot and crunchy on the outside, while very soft in the inside. That is how…
Jump to Recipe
By:Vanjo Merano6 CommentsUpdated: 9/2/18
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Calamari is probably one of the easiest and quickest appetizers to prepare. Every time we order calamari in restaurants, I am always surprised on how fast the servers get back to us with the order already with them — still hot and crunchy on the outside, while very soft in the inside. That is how a perfect calamari should be, in my opinion. I personally like the calamari fritti of Lou Malnati’s and the spicy calamari of Olive Garden is also a good one. The good news is you do not need to dine-in any restaurant to enjoy a perfectly delicious calamari appetizer. You can always make this in your home kitchen, but make sure to open the windows and vent, or else your place will smell appetizing too.
Most of us have had calamari, at least once or several times. For the benefit of those who are not familiar to this yummy appetizer, calamari refers to a squid dish. This is usually made from squid rings. The squid is dipped in a batter or dredged in a breading of some sort (depending on the recipe) and deep fried until the texture of the breading becomes crisp. This Easy Calamari Recipe will help you understand better on what a basic calamari is all about. This dish can have different names around the world; in particular, this is known as “calamares” in the Philippines, and there are hundreds of good calamares recipes that you can try. Calamari also refer to whole small squids that are cooked the same way. While the squid is the life of a calamari dish, the batter/breading and the dip plays an important role in making your calamari more enjoyable to eat.
Going back to this Easy Calamari Recipe, I am showing you a very basic way to make calamari. This recipe involves squid rings which you can get in the frozen seafood section of your favorite supermarket, already available in ring form. You can also use fresh squid. If using fresh squid, clean it thoroughly and remove the skin and all the things inside it. Slice the squid crosswise with your desired thickness to create the rings.
Do you know how calamari in restaurants get their soft texture? Well, not all squids are soft, but there is a way to ensure that the squid that you will be enjoying will be soft the moment it reaches your mouth. My technique is to marinade the squid or squid rings in fresh milk for at least 3 hours (marinating overnight works best for me). The lactic acid found in milk reacts with the squid making it less tougher overtime. This is the reason why you see the squid swimming in milk in this cooking video. This technique will also work for Inihaw na Pusit (Grilled Squid), as long as you do not over cook your squid.
Here is a previous recipe that I posted, which is the Filipino version of calamari.
Try this Easy Calamari Recipe. Let me know what you think.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag us on Instagram at @panlasangpinoy or hashtag #panlasangpinoy so we can see your creations!
Combine the flour, salt, garlic powder, and parsley flakes. Mix well and set aside.
Heat the cooking oil in a wok or a deep cooking pot.
Drain the milk of the calamari. Dredge the calamari rings one-at-a-time on the flour mixture. Make sure that the calamari ring is completely coated with the mixture.
Deep fry the coated calamari rings on hot oil for 2 minutes or until the calamari turns light brown.
Strain the calamari from the wok or cooking pot using a skimmer or strainer. Let the excess oil drip.
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!
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.
What is the best method to cook frozen calamari rings? The best method to cook frozen calamari rings is by deep-frying them. This will result in a crispy and delicious texture. However, you can also bake or pan-fry them if you prefer a healthier cooking method.
Use a small sieve to lightly dust the squid pieces with rice flour or regular flour. This will help the batter adhere to the squid. Dip squid pieces in batter and fry in hot oil: Working in small batches at a time (about 6 pieces), dip the squid pieces in the batter.
2 Holding the body, gently pull out the head, intestines, ink sac, and clear skeleton; discard innards. 3 Working from the cut end of the body, grasp the thin skin. Peel back toward the tip and discard. 4 Rinse squid body and tentacles before cooking.
Soak the cleaned squid in milk to tenderize. I am not sure what chemical wizardry happens here, but this simple trick keeps the squid nice and tender. Use equal parts of flour and cornstarch for an unbelievably crunchy coating. Don't scrimp on the amount of oil for frying; use the right one for the job.
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.
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.
A simple way to prevent your calamari from having a chewy texture is to soak it in buttermilk for an hour before frying it. This will tenderize it. You may also notice that your batter turns browner and taste slightly sweeter after soaking the squid in buttermilk.
Substituting almond milk with lemon juice for buttermilk makes the Fried Calamari dairy free. Sometimes calamari rings are soaked in buttermilk to tenderize them. Here I make the switch to an almond milk, lemon juice mixture that works every bit as well. You could use rice milk or soy milk as well.
Properly thawing (or slacking) frozen calamari not only preserves the high quality of the product, it ensures that you are getting the full amount of squid that you ordered! It also cuts down on overall cook time in the kitchen.
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.
How to Quickly Tenderize Calamari. I use baking soda to tenderize calamari. For each pound, I dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda in just enough water to cover the calamari. Let sit for about 15 minutes and then rinse very well and pat dry.
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.
Introduction: My name is Greg O'Connell, I am a delightful, colorful, talented, kind, lively, modern, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
