By Ali Slagle
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- 4(230)
- Notes
- Read community notes
You can make light and crispy calamari — the kind you get at clam shacks and Italian-American restaurants — without a deep fryer. Compared to frying fish or chicken, frying squid is a breeze thanks to its small size and quick cook time. To ensure success, soak the squid in milk to reduce fishiness and help the coating stick. A little baking powder and cornstarch in the coating keeps it airy and delicate. (Add paprika or black pepper for spice, or let the mild flavor shine through.) Then, to keep the squid from toughening, fry it hot and fast; just a couple of minutes will do it. Eat right away with a squeeze of lemon or marinara sauce.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 appetizer servings
- 1cup whole milk or buttermilk
- Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
- 1pound squid tubes and tentacles, cleaned, rinsed and patted very dry
- 1½cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓cup cornstarch
- 2tablespoons baking powder
- 2teaspoons paprika or black pepper (optional)
- Neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable, for shallow frying
- Lemon wedges and/or warmed marinara sauce, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
680 calories; 40 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 24 grams monounsaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 55 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 643 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
In a medium bowl, stir together the milk and 2 teaspoons salt. Cut the squid tubes ¾-inch thick, then add to the milk mixture along with the tentacles. Let sit for 5 minutes or up to 1 hour. (Refrigerate if soaking for more than 15 minutes.)
Step
2
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and paprika or black pepper (if using). Use your hands to shake excess milk from the squid, then transfer to the flour mixture. Toss until well coated; you may need to open up the tubes to ensure their insides are coated in flour.
Step
3
In a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium, heat ½ inch of oil to 375 degrees. Line a plate or sheet pan with paper towels. Add a handful of the squid to the oil and cook until golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Stir only after the coating seems to have set. (Any sooner and the coating could fall off.) Use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer to the lined plate. Season with salt.
Step
4
Return the oil to 375 degrees, fish out any browned bits, and repeat with the rest of the squid in batches. Eat with a squeeze of lemon and/or dunked in marinara sauce.
Ratings
4
out of 5
230
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Cooking Notes
Eric Phillips
A combination of corn starch and rice flour will give you a nice, light coating that browns well and has good crunch.
Max Alexander, Rome, Contestant MasterChef Italia 2020-2021
Things about this recipe that Italians wouldn’t understand:1. Why would you want to reduce or eliminate the “fishiness” of fish?2. Why would you try to fry squid in only half an inch of oil?
Richard
1. Some people don't like "fishiness".2. Not everyone has a deep fat fryer.
Anna
Is it possible to make this gluten free?What flour would you recommend?
M/R Cooper
Good coating, nice crust and crunch, did not fall apart. Light. We used fresh Bahamian lobster chunks. My husband wanted to try this, I wanted to use the rice flour/sparkling water/egg. He won and made it all. Only suggestion….needs more seasoning or a dipping sauce. Used a Dutch Oven rather than cast iron fry for less splatter. Still smells up the house! Next time on induction cooktop outside.
Anon-a-Marti
I fried calamari... once. Messiest thing I ever did. Never again. (Sorry, but we all have our limits.)
nhmama
Yes, I make gluten free fried calamari all the time with either a gluten free flour blend (like King Arthur blend or Cup4Cup) or all corn starch. No one can taste a difference between gf and gluten containing.
w greene
I prefer frozen. Usually when a fish is "fresh" at the fishmonger, it was previously frozen anyway. I can thaw it myself. ;-)
Katie of Portugal
Fresh squid makes this perfect for Father’s Day
Marguerite
Lacked flavor, although a light marinara dip helped. I skipped the milk soak because it seemed pointless. There were no “brown bits” to fish out, just flour sludge despite the fact that I sieved the calamari after flouting to eliminate the excess. I’ll keep looking for a better recipe, or just leave it to the professionals.
eileen
Too much flour combination
Melissa
This was glorious and my husband, a connoisseur of calamari (squid and octopus dishes of all sorts) proclaimed this best he’s ever had. Super tender, no chewiness at all, the crust beautifully crispy. Perfect.
Jim
Followed the recipe using a combination of half sharp paprika and black pepper in the proportion suggested. Used almond milk, and it came out great. Between the salt in the milk soak and the paprika and black pepper, the seasoning was perfect. Using a Thermapen instant read thermometer made it easy to make sure the oil was up to temp for each batch.
Hal
It doesn't have to be messy. The Dutch oven is a better choice than a skillet so you can use more oil. Deeper pot, less splatter. Some weeks I keep a lidded pot on the stove I use for deep frying a few small things that stays clean for a few days depending on what I've been cooking. In addition to calamari (this recipe is terrific), I love scratch made falafel, and freshly fried tortilla chips. N.B. Potato starch is a good choice for a gluten free coating. A spider is a handy tool for frying.
AC
It makes no sense to soak in milk to help breading adhere but then dry squid thoroughly.
Jade
This recipe was an absolute hit! My entire family devoured this meal and I will definitely pull it out when I want to impress again. As for my adjustments, notably, I used cashew milk instead of whole milk and I fried the squid in grapeseed oil.
Mike
Served with tzatziki, lemon, and a chickpea / vinigrette salad with feta cubes on the side. M
Maeve
These were really salty, after following the recipe exactly. They did fry up easily as promised, though.
Maeve
Some nice people asked about doing this in the air fryer- I tried one batch like that and it was awful. I switched to shallow frying for the rest and crisped up that failed air fryer batch in the oil as wel
samantha
Shallow fry was okay, baking soda not necessary
Nkkopp
How about an air-fryer?
Pauline
Would this work in an air fryer?
M/R Cooper
Good coating, nice crust and crunch, did not fall apart. Light. We used fresh Bahamian lobster chunks. My husband wanted to try this, I wanted to use the rice flour/sparkling water/egg. He won and made it all. Only suggestion….needs more seasoning or a dipping sauce. Used a Dutch Oven rather than cast iron fry for less splatter. Still smells up the house! Next time on induction cooktop outside.
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