Calamari Fritti

Calamari Fritti
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Simple and delicious, this calamari is lightly dusted in flour, salt, and pepper, and fried in hot olive oil. Serve with fresh lemon. I would enjoy a Sicilian white with Calamari Fritti — Firriato Etna Bianco 2012, Sicilia comes to mind when I think of fried calamari.
Servings
4
servings
Ingredients
  • 2 pound frozen or fresh calamari tubes and tentacles
  • 1 gallon blended oil, for frying
  • ½ - 3/4 cup flour
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 lemon, cut into halves
  • 1 brown paper bag
Directions
  1. Defrost and clean calamari, separating the tubes from the tentacles. Cut off wings and be sure tubes have no cartilage remaining inside.
  2. Once calamari is clean, cut calamari tubes into thin, even ribbons. Cut tentacles in half.
  3. Put 1 gallon of blended olive oil into 8-quart or larger pan, and heat on stovetop at high heat.
  4. Put flour into a heavy-duty brown paper bag with salt and pepper to taste. Add sliced calamari to bag and shake enthusiastically. Have fun!
  5. When oil is hot, test it with a pinch of flour. If oil bubbles, then the oil is hot enough.
  6. Rip open bag and carefully add calamari to the hot oil. (Note: When you add calamari to the oil, it will make the oil bubble and increase the likelihood of coming out of the pot. Please use caution.)
  7. After all of the calamari is in the oil, use a spider to keep calamari submerged. Cook for approximately 1-1.5 minutes or until crispy and browned.
  8. Remove calamari from oil and place on paper towel or brown paper bag to absorb excess oil.
  9. Immediately put calamari on serving plate. Season with pinch of salt and pepper, garnish with fresh half lemon.
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