How to cook Calamari – very tender, crispy and delicious (not rubbery!!)

In North America, as opposed to referring to squid, we have adopted the Italian name: Calamari…it just sounds so much better!! Whole fresh or previously frozen calamari is always tastiest (as opposed to buying calamari rings) and in this episode, I will show you how easy they are to clean – then, the fun part, we will easily prep the calamari and fry them to a nice and tender (that’s right, not ruberry at all) and crispy texture – so delicious!! Enjoy

00:00 Intro
01:24 cutting and cleaning
08:25 marinade
09:54 30 minutes later – breading
13:49 frying
20:19 taste test
22:02 OUTRO

TENDER, CRISPY, CALAMARI

Ingredients
• Fresh or previously frozen calamari 1 – 2 lbs (i.e. up to 1 kg)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (or juice from half a lemon)
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• Optional: 1 tsp old bay seasoning
• Oil for frying (i.e. vegetable oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, or peanut oil)
• Salt to taste

Process
• Clean and wash the calamari, set aside
• In a bowl, add the milk and the baking soda – mix/whisk to combine. Then add the lemon juice and mix/whisk to combine.
• Add the calamari to the bowl with the milk mixture, and let soak for 30 minutes in the fridge
• Remove from fridge and drain the liquid from the calamari, set aside
• In a bowl, add the flour, cornstartch and optional old bay seasoning. Mix to combine.
• Take the calamari and with a paper towel, dry them as best as you can
• Add the calamari to the bowl with the flour mixture and toss until all calamari are coated in the flour mixture – shake off any excess flour from the calamari
• In a frying pan, add your oil, put stove on high and bring the oil up to 350 – 370 deg f. Place the calamari in the pan, one piece at a time, and do not overcrowd the pan. Fry for 1 – 2 minutes until golden brown
• Remove calamari and place on a screen/rack or on a plate with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil
• Sprinkle salt to taste and enjoy the calamari while they are still hot – delicious!!
Note: if you do not have old bay seasoning, just use your favorite seasoning, or black pepper, or simply, do not add anything at all

My Kitchen Gear
Here are a few things I mentioned in the video. Please shop and support your local shops! If you cannot find them there, here are some links to help out.

“My Bread Book” by Jim Lahey
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► Canada https://amzn.to/3baKEF0

Lagostina Tuscan Collection Orange Oval Casserole Dish / Dutch Oven, 5 Quarts
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► USA (similar) https://amzn.to/2XbpcYo

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