How do you tenderize calamari before frying?
Here is one of the biggest tips for calamari recipe: tenderize your squid rings by soaking them in salted milk and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This will help tenderize the calamari while taming the fishy smell! It also helps the flour coating to stick to the the squid rings.
To tenderize your calamari, simply stir about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt in 1/2 cup of milk. Add your squid rings to the salted milk solution and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
There are other alternatives for tenderizing squid such as soaking it in buttermilk or lemon juice.
Ingredients
4 cups vegetable oil
750 g (1 1/2 lbs) calamari rings
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp seasoning salt
2 eggs
½ cup milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste
Peri-Peri Yogurt Dip
¼ cup Greek yogurt
1 ½ tsp Peri-Peri sauce
Fried Calamari
Fried squid rings
Preparation
To tenderize your calamari, simply stir about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt in 1/2 cup of milk. Add your squid rings to the salted milk solution and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
There are other alternatives for tenderizing squid such as soaking it in buttermilk or lemon juice.
In a large deep saucepan, add oil till about 1" deep and preheat to 300-310F (medium heat)
In a large bowl add 1 1/2 cups flour and 1 tbsp seasoning salt. Mix well.
In a medium bowl add 2 egg, 1/2 cup milk and 1 tbsp lemon juice and beat to mix well.
Drop a handful of calamari rings into the egg wash. Remove and shake excess egg off and then toss in the flour mixture to coat evenly the inside and outside of the rings.
Gently add the calamari rings to the preheated oil in small batches and let cook for 1 minute. Flip with tongs and let cook another 60 to 90 seconds. They should be a lightly browned. Removed and let rest on paper towels to drain excess oil. Season with salt as desired.
Peri-Peri Yogurt Dip
In a small bowl add 1/4 cup Greek yogurt and 1 1/2 tsp of Peri-Peri sauce. Mix well and serve alongside the fried calamari for dipping.
Notes
Serve immediatey with lemon wedges and dipping sauce as desired.
Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container with a paper towl lining the bottom for up to 2 days. Reheat quickly in the oven or microwave quickly just till warm. Overcooking will result in tough and chewy calamari.
main ingredients: squid
type of dish:
hors-doeuvre
cuisine:
Type of meal:
cocktail
