RECIPE: Fried Squid & ?

19 years ago

Made deep fried calamari last night, but was tired of the same old marinara sauce, and soy-based dipping sauces just don't appeal to us with this dish. So got to be fooling around modifying a sauce recipe that was in my files, and came up with:

Deep Fried Calamari w/Peperoncini & Chili Sauce

2 lbs cleaned squid

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour]1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tbls baking soda

1/2 tsp black pepper

Oil for deep frying

Using a sharp knife, cut the squid bodies crosswise into rings about 5/16 inch thick. If the tentacles are large, split them in half lengthwise.

Rinse the squid several times in cold water, drain, and lay out on a layer of paper towels. Cover with another layer of towels and roll the towels together, squeezing gently to remove most of the moisture.

In a dep fat fryer or Dutch oven start heating the oil to 375 degrees. meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flolur with the baking soda, salt and pepper. Have a strainer handy.

When oil 8is hot, transfer about one quarter of the squid to the flour mixture and toss until coated. Shake of any excess flour, put the squid in the strainer, and shake it above the flour bowl to release any more excess flour.

Transfer the squid to the hot oil. Fry until golden, 2-3 minutes; do not overcook. Drain on paper towels.

For the sauce:

1/2 cup mayonaise

1/4 cup minced peperoncini

One squirt Thai sweet chili sauce

Combine all ingredients well. Let sit a few minutes for flavors to meld.

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Comments (5)

lindac
19 years ago
And...Just a wedge of lemon.....
Sounds good!
gardenlad
Original Author
19 years ago
In this case, Linda, it doesn't need the lemon (except, perhaps, aesthetically---lemon wedges just look good on the plate) because the peperoncini provides plenty of acid from the pickling brine.

I added the chili sauce more for color. But it's an extra flavor component that really kicks it up. Just don't go overboard or the chili sauce will overpower everything.
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annie1992
19 years ago
GL, that sounds really good to me. I do plead guilty to enjoying calamari with a soy based sweet and sour sauce, but this sounds even better.

Annie
gardenlad
Original Author
19 years ago
Calamari is probably the least appreciated seafood going, from a cost, taste, and flexibility standpoint. It's amazing what can be done with it. I've got several recipes for stuffed, grilled squid that I'm anxious to try, for instance.

As to the frying, An idea for another sauce popped into my head that I'm going to give a whirl next time. I'm thinking an orange mayo, with minced sweet red onion, would go perfectly.

Time will tell.
gardenlad
Original Author
19 years ago
The orange mayo is on hold.

Got tired of waiting for the library to find Spice on the ILL, and bought a copy. It's as great a book as everybody says.

But Lo! Right there on page 17: Fried Squid with Avocado Hummus. Boy or boy, does that sound good. So it's next on the calimari hit parade:

2 ripe avocados, split, seeded and scooped
1/4 cup tahini
1 tbls chopped garlic about 5 cloves)
2 tsp ground cumin
4 tbls freeshly squeezed lemon juice (I'll likely cut this down)
1/4 cup EVOO
Salt to taste

Blend everything in a food processor untiol smooth and creamy like sour cream. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, placing the wrap directly on top of the avocado so that no air gets into it to turn it brown. Set it aside while you prepare the squid.