Carrabbas Fried Calamari With Marinara Ricardo Sauces Recipes

FRIED CALAMARI (CARRABBA'S ITALIAN GRILL RECIPE)

Steps:

• Wash the Calamari (Squid). Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Line 1 baking sheet with 2 layers of paper towels. Have a 2nd baking sheet lined with foil, nearby.
• Pour enough oil to come 1 inch up the side of a large, heavy saucepan or skillet. Heat over high heat to 350 degrees (on a deep frying thermometer).
• Cut the Calamari bodies (sacs/tubes) crosswise into 1/2 inch-wide rings. Cut each cluster of tentacles in halves or thirds. Season the Calamari with salt/pepper and mix.
• Pour the flour into a bowl. Divide the calamari into 2 batches. Put the first batch of calamari into the bowl with flour and coat it with the flour, shaking off excess flour.
• Add the coated calamari into the saucepan with the hot oil. Cook over high heat until the calamari are golden brown, about 2-4 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon transfer the calamari onto the baking sheet lined with paper towels to briefly drain.
• Move the calamari to the second baking sheet lined with foil and place in the oven, to keep it warm and crisp. Repeat the same steps with the second batch of calamari. Add more flour to the bowl if there is not enough. I added a few extra spoons of flour.
• Transfer the calamari to the serving plate. You can add lemon wedges to the plate, for decoration. Serve with Marinara Sauce and or Garlic Aioli Sauce for dipping, if desired. I served with both sauces because we like to dip our calamari into both sauces. Both Marinara and Garlic Aioli Sauce recipes are on my blog.

CARRABBA'S FRIED CALAMARI WITH MARINARA & RICARDO SAUCES

Steps:

• Marinara: Place the celery, onion and garlic in a food processor and process until grated. In a medium-sized saucepan and on a med-high heat, add the EVOO. Once oil begins to shimmer, add the celery/onion/garlic and sauté 3-4 minutes until fragrant and softened. Add the canned tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper. Simmer and reduce for 10 minutes. Set aside for serving.
• Ricardo: In a medium-sized saucepan, and on a med-high heat, melt the butter and grate in the garlic. Sauté the garlic until fragrant but do not allow to brown. Add the white wine and cook off the alcohol. Add the red pepper and sauté until softened. Whisk in the heavy cream, lemon juice and cornstarch. Continue to whisk, frequently, and reduce the sauce by 1/3. Set aside for serving.
• Fried Calamari: Cut the calamari tubes into ½" slices and leave the tentacles whole. Working in batches, drop the calamari into the beaten egg to coat. Remove the calamari from the egg, knocking off any excess and toss in the seasoned flour. Ensure that the calamari is well coated with the flour mixture.
• In a wok or large sauté pan, heat 2" of the oil to a minimum of 365 degrees. Working in small batches, place the dredged calamari into the fry oil for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the fried calamari from the oil and place aside on a paper plate to drain. Continue this process until all calamari is fried.
• Serve the fried calamari, immediately, with the 2 sauces and lemon wedges. Optional, add more cracked black pepper to the fried calamari. Carrabba's fried calamari is "heavy" on the cracked black pepper.