Battered Squid Recipes

BEER-BATTERED CALAMARI WITH GARLIC-LEMON MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• Thoroughly rinse squid; pat dry. Cut into 1/4-inch rings; place in medium bowl. Add 2 chopped garlic cloves, the lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste; stir to coat. Cover; refrigerate at least 30 minutes to marinate.
• Meanwhile, in deep bowl, mix 1 cup of the flour, the olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, the red pepper and black pepper to taste. Slowly add beer, stirring gently until batter is smooth. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• In food processor, place mayonnaise, 1 garlic clove and the lemon juice. Cover; process until garlic is chopped and mixture is blended. Transfer to small bowl; season with salt and black pepper. Stir in basil. Cover; refrigerate until serving time.
• In deep fryer or heavy saucepan, heat 2 inches vegetable oil to 375°F. In shallow bowl, place remaining 1 cup flour. Dip squid rings in flour, shaking off excess, then coat completely with beer batter. Fry squid in batches in hot oil until deep golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
• Serve calamari hot with Garlic-Lemon Mayonnaise.

BATTERED SQUID

Steps:

• Combine salt, pepper, garlic, fish sauce, wine, eggs, pepper sauce and paprika in blender and blend 30 seconds.
• Pour mixture into a large bowl and stir in flour just until combined.
• Do not overmix.
• Add calamari.
• Cover with plastic warp and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Just before cooking, stir cornstarch into calamari mixture.
• (important for crispness) Heat oil in large deep saucepan to 375°F (pinch of flour dropped into oil bubbles).
• Drop small batch of calamari into hot oil.
• Do not crowd the pan.
• Cook in batches until calamari rings are golden brown and crispy (about 2 minutes).
• Remove and drain on paper towels.
• To serve; fill each lettuce leaf with 1 cup calamari and serve with Curry Mayo.

CALAMARI

Steps:

• Cut the squid into rings or strips and separate the tentacles. Place in a bowl with the milk and garlic for a couple of hours.
• Mix all the dry elements of the batter together in a bowl. When ready to cook, take a suitable pan and fill it 1/3 with oil. Heat but do not let the oil smoke. If you have a thermometer heat to 200 degrees C. If you do not have a thermometer place a small cube of white bread in the pan. If it browns in 5 to 10 seconds the oil is at the correct temperature.
• When ready, mix the icy lemonade with the egg and then into the dry batter ingredients. It should resemble melted ice cream.
• Dust each piece of the squid in flour, then into the batter, shaking off the excess. Carefully drop into the oil and cook for approx 2 minutes until golden. Cook as much as you can cope with at a time, but do not overfill the pan. When golden remove onto kitchen towel to drain.
• Serve with lemon, salt and pepper.

BUTTERMILK-BATTERED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Heat oil in a saucepan or deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Pour buttermilk into a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, pepper and oregano. Dip squid rings into the buttermilk, then into the seasoned flour.
• Place the coated pieces in the hot oil, and fry in small batches, turning if necessary, for even cooking. When evenly browned, remove to paper towels to drain, and continue with the rest of the squid. Serve hot.

FRIED SQUID

Steps:

• Put 1 1/2 to 2 inches of oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, spread about 1/4 of the squid at a time on several layers of paper towels and put another couple of layers of towels on top, blotting squid to rid it of as much moisture as possible. Season squid with salt and pepper; put flour in a bowl.
• When oil is hot, put about 1/4 of the squid in flour, then move it to a sieve over the bowl and shake to remove any excess. Add squid to oil along with some jalapeños if you like, adjusting heat as necessary so temperature remains nearly constant. Fry until squid is lightly browned and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Do not overcook. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Start next batch while you eat the first with lemon wedges.