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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 2 Minutes |
Ready In: 2 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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Ingredients:
this recipe yields calamari lighter in color than most restaurant versions, so keep this in mind when frying. follow the cooking time, not the color, and you will have perfectly cooked squid. while we love the texture and visual appeal of the tentacles, not everyone does; most fishmongers will gladly sell only bodies if you so desire. before slicing the squid, check the bodies for beaks the fishmonger might have missed. they look and feel like pieces of transparent plastic. for a specialty native to federal hill, the italian neighborhood in providence, rhode island, toss the fried calamari with thinly sliced rings of jarred pepperoncini. the spicy bite of the peppers and the tanginess of the brine are surprisingly good with fried squid. for the best results, clip a candy/deep-fry thermometer to the side of the saucepan to monitor the temperature of the oil. |
ingredients |
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour |
1/4 cup fine-ground cornmeal |
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper |
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper |
salt |
2 large egg whites |
1 pound squid , bodies sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rings, tentacles left whole |
4 cups vegetable oil for frying |
1 small lemon , cut into wedges |
Directions:
1. 1. Thoroughly combine the flour, cornmeal, black pepper, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, beat the egg whites with a fork until frothy, about 10 seconds. Add half the squid to the bowl with the egg whites, toss to coat, and remove with a slotted spoon or your hands, allowing the excess whites to drip back into the bowl. Add the squid to the bowl with the seasoned flour and, using your hands or a large rubber spatula, toss to coat. Place the coated squid in a single layer on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, allowing the excess flour to fall free of the squid. Repeat the process with the remaining squid.
2. 2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy- bottomed 4-quart saucepan over medium heat until it reaches 400 degrees. Carefully add one-quarter of the squid and fry until light golden (do not let the coating turn golden brown, or the squid will toughen), about 1 1/2 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a temperature of 380 to 400 degrees. With a slotted spoon or mesh skimmer, transfer the fried squid to a paper towel-lined plate. Fry the remaining batches of squid and add them to the plate. Sprinkle the fried squid lightly with salt to taste and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
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