Crispy Squid With Capers Recipes

CRISPY SQUID & SMASHED AVO

Steps:

• Pour 1cm of olive oil into a large non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat and leave to get hot - keep an eye on it.
• Meanwhile, slice the squid tubes into 1cm rings, then toss all the squid with the flour and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper until well coated.
• Halve and destone the avocado, then scoop the flesh into a bowl. Finely grate in the zest of 1 lime, squeeze in the juice and mash until smooth. Taste, season to perfection and divide between two plates.
• To test if the oil is hot enough, carefully drop a piece of squid into the pan - if it sizzles and turns golden, it's ready. Piece by piece, gently place the rest of the squid in the hot oil and cook, turning with tongs, until golden all over (work in batches, if you need to). Remove to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain, then plate up over the avo.
• Drizzle over the chilli sauce and a little extra virgin olive oil, and serve with lime wedges, for squeezing over.

CRISPY SQUID WITH GARLIC, CHILE, AND BASIL

Steps:

• The lightly beaten eggs should be in one medium bowl and the bread crumbs in another. Season both the eggs and the bread crumbs with salt and pepper. Take the squid rings and tentacles and coat them with the egg. Remove and allow any excess egg to drip off, and then roll the pieces in the bread crumbs. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and refrigerate.
• In a medium-size saute pan, heat the chile oil lightly. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Take care not to brown the garlic but instead sweat it so that the liquid emerges and it becomes translucent. Add the sliced celery and stir to coat everything evenly. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in the lemon slices and set aside to cool.
• Pour the oil into a heavy-bottomed pot (or alternatively, a deep fryer). Heat the oil slowly to 375 degrees F. Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature. Line a baking sheet with a kitchen towel to drain the squid once they are cooked.
• When ready to serve, drop the squid, in small batches, into the oil. Fry until crispy, turning on both sides with a slotted metal spoon, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain them on the lined baking sheet. Season immediately with salt and toss with the basil leaves. Serve the garlic sauce on the side or drizzle over top. Serve immediately.

GRILLED SQUID WITH FRIED CAPERS AND SKORDALIA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, cover potatoes with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, and add salt. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Drain in a colander, and let the potatoes cool completely. Slice into 1-inch pieces; set aside.
• In a small saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add capers; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
• Heat grill to medium. Cut squid bodies open to make flat pieces. Holding a sharp knife at a 30-degree angle, score the inner side of each squid in a crosshatch pattern, being careful not to cut all the way through. Toss the squid bodies and tentacles with 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill squid, turning once, until just cooked through and nicely charred (squid will curl up as it cooks), 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to overcook because squid will toughen. Cut into 2-inch pieces.
• In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and remaining 6 tablespoons oil. In a medium bowl, combine reserved potatoes, fennel, and parsley. Coat with half the lemon mixture, and season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, toss squid with remaining lemon mixture; season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, place about 2 tablespoons skordalia sauce on each plate. Top with a mound of potato salad. Place squid on top, and garnish with the capers.

CRISPY SQUID WITH CAPERS

Steps:

• Place the flour, salt and capers in a strong plastic bag, shake vigorously to coat.
• Cut the squid into rings approx 1cm wide. Pat dry and add these, and the tentacles, to the flour and capers. Shake again until completely covered.
• Deep-fry in small batches for a couple of minutes until slightly golden.
• Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and allow to drain on kitchen towel.
• Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, if desired, before serving.

CRISPY SQUID WITH GARLIC MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• Strange though it might sound to say it, this is another of my supper-standbys. I keep the frozen squid in the deep-freeze, taking it out in the morning at breakfast to let it thaw in time for the evening's meal. I prefer to eat a massive amount of this, and nothing else (I can eat the whole lot myself) rather than have it more meanly as a starter unless, in a life outside of this chapter's parameters, I'm expecting company, in which case it would happily stretch to 4 people, ready to dunk each crisp piece of squid into the garlic mayonnaise over pre-dinner drinks.
• I feel the ghost of Elizabeth David spitting at my calling this 'crispy' squid, but that's what I habitually call it at home, and I beg forgiveness of the pedants, with whom I have some sympathy.
• Heat the oil in a smallish saucepan and while it's left to heat up cut the thawed squid into 1/2-inch rings.
• Put the cornstarch, semolina and seasoning into a plastic freezer bag. Add the squid rings and tentacles and then toss to coat.
• When the oil is hot enough, which is when it sizzles up fiercely when you drop in a small cube of bread, fry the squid in batches to get the most golden crunchiness. A couple of minutes per batch is all you should need
• Mince the garlic into the mayonnaise to serve alongside the fried squid.

CRISPY CALAMARI WITH MEDITERRANEAN RELISH

Steps:

• Mediterranean Relish:
• Stir together tomatoes, olives, capers, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic and parsley. Aet aside.
• Calamari:
• Stir together flour, lemon rind, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. In a separate bowl, stir togther breadcrumbs and almonds. Beat eggs in another shallow bowl. Dip calamari pieces - a few at a time, in flour mixture to coat completely. Dip in eggs and toss in crumb mixture to coat completely.
• Fill a large deep-fryer, large saucepan or wok with at least 3 inches of oil, then heat over medium -high heat to a temperature of 375°. Cook calamari in batches for 1 minute, until golden brown. Remove calamari from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve on a bed of salad greens with Mediterranean Relish.

CRISPY SQUID WITH CAPERS

Steps:

• Cut the squid into rings about ½cm thick. Tip the flour into a freezer bag and season well. Add the capers, then give everything a good shake to mix together. Tip the squid into the bag, then shake again until all the rings are well coated. Mix together the garlic and mayonnaise, then place in a serving bowl.
• Pour some oil into a large pan until it comes about 7cm up the sides, but the pan is no more than a third full. Place over a medium heat and let the oil warm up. To test that the oil is ready, place a small piece of bread in the pan - it should sizzle when it touches the oil.
• Remove a handful of squid from the flour and shake off any excess. Gently drop into the oil, then cook for about 3 mins until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining squid. Serve straight away with the mayonnaise and lemon wedges.

CRISPY SQUID WITH CAPONATA

Steps:

• To prepare the squid, lay the squid flat on a board. Insert a long, thin knife in the opening and neatly cut it along one side. Open it out to a flat sheet and scrape away any leftover membrane. Use the tip of the knife to lightly score the flesh in a diamond pattern, taking care not to cut through the squid completely. Cut the scored squid into large triangles ready to be floured and fried.
• For the caponata, the aubergine needs to be cut into uniform dice: slice it lengthways about 1cm thick, cut long strips the same size, then chop them into squares.
• Heat half the oil in a large sauté pan. Fry the onions for 3-4 mins until starting to soften, add the aubergine, then continue to cook for 8-10 mins until brown and soft. Tip into a colander over a bowl.
• Tip any oil from the bowl back into the pan and top it up with a splash of fresh oil. Fry the celery, tomatoes and the crushed garlic together. Sprinkle the sugar over, splash in the vinegar, then cook for 3-4 mins until the tomatoes start to release their juice.
• Tip the aubergine and onion back in with the celery. Scatter in the olives, capers and basil, then give everything a good stir. Cook for 5 mins until simmering, then season to taste. Turn off the heat, drizzle in the rest of the oil, then set aside.
• Just before cooking, tip the squid into a large bowl. Sift the flour and cayenne pepper together over the squid, then toss well and season with salt. Tip the squid back into the sieve and shake off all the excess flour.
• Pour enough sunflower oil into a large frying pan so it's about 1cm deep. Heat the oil until it sizzles when sprinkled with a little flour. In batches, fry the squid for 2-3 mins on each side until golden and crisp. When cooked, use tongs to lift the squid onto a plate lined with kitchen paper. You are now ready to serve.
• Spoon the caponata inside a 10cm wide metal ring (or simply make a neat pile) in the middle of a medium dinner plate. Use the back of the spoon to press down lightly on the caponata and level the top of the pile. Carefully lift the ring away, keeping the tower of caponata circular. Lean five or six pieces of squid around the caponata like petals on a flower, then serve immediately.