Panko Fried Calamari Recipes

FRIED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Pour enough oil into a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches. Heat over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Mix the flour, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Working in small batches, toss the squid into the flour mixture to coat. Carefully add the squid to the oil and fry until crisp and very pale golden, about 1 minute per batch. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the fried calamari to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
• Place the fried calamari and lemon wedges on a clean plate. Sprinkle with salt. Serve with the marinara sauce.
• In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
• Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
• If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

PAN-FRIED CALAMARI RINGS

Steps:

• Mix together flour, cayenne and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
• Feel free to add other ingredients to the flour mix if you want--any herbs or zests (like lemon) would be great.
• Put 3 eggs in a bowl (cracked, of course!) and beat lightly.
• Place panko on a plate.
• Start heating oil to med-high heat in medium-large pan on stovetop.
• Dip a few thawed calamari rings into the flour.
• Toss till coated.
• Dip flour-coated rings into the egg mixture.
• Toss flour- and egg-coated rings with Panko.
• (An easy way to do this is to have the panko in a plastic ziploc bag--and toss.) Shake off excess panko and put in preheated oil on stovetop.
• Don't crowd the pan!
• Allowing enough space between rings will ensure that they all cook evenly.
• Pan fry till panko is golden and calamari is tender.
• Don't overcook---overcooked calamari tastes like rubber!
• Serve with dipping sauces of your choice; I like Mean's Aioli (#54833).
• Enjoy.
• And then go for a run or take a nap.
• (This makes 4 servings for an appetizer, if you are looking for a substantial appy, or maybe 2-3 servings for a full meal. This is a FILLING dish).

PANKO FRIED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Preheat the deep fryer to 375 degrees F.
• Whisk the egg whites and flour together until smooth. Dip the calamari rings into the egg white batter. Toss calamari rings in the panko.
• In a deep fryer set at high temperature, fry the panko-coated calamari until golden, about 2 minutes. Season with kosher salt.

AIR FRYER CALAMARI

Steps:

• Preheat an air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place flour in a bowl. Whisk egg and milk in a separate bowl. Combine panko, salt, and pepper in a third bowl.
• Coat calamari rings first in flour, then in egg mixture, and finally in panko mixture.
• Place rings in the the basket of the air fryer so that none are overlapping. Work in batches if needed. Spray the tops with nonstick cooking spray.
• Air fry for 4 minutes. Flip rings, spray with nonstick cooking spray, and cook for 3 minutes longer.

SALT AND PEPPER CALAMARI

Steps:

• Whisk egg and milk together in a bowl. Mix panko, pepper, and salt in a shallow bowl.
• Lightly dust calamari with flour, shaking off any excess. Dip in egg mixture then panko mixture to coat. Transfer to a plate and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Heat oil in a saucepan or deep fryer. Deep-fry calamari in batches until light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.