Restaurants›Nazar Turkish Kitchen + Bar›Calamari Recipe

Calamari Recipe

Inspired by Nazar Turkish Kitchen + Bar
Time40m
Serves2

Lightly coated squid, fried until golden a touch of garlic and mint

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Ingredients

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Calamari and Coating

Frying and Finishing

Optional Serving Garnish

Method

Calamari and Coating

1

Prepare squid

If not pre-cleaned, remove head, innards, quill, and skin from squid tubes. Rinse tubes and tentacles under cold water. Pat completely dry with paper towels. Slice tubes into 1/2-inch rings; leave tentacles whole or halved if large.

2

Marinate briefly

Place dried squid in a bowl and pour 1/2 cup buttermilk over it. Toss to coat and let rest 10 minutes. The buttermilk tenderizes and helps the coating adhere.

3

Mix dry coating

In a shallow wide bowl or plate, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, sea salt, black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder until uniform.

4

Drain the squid from the buttermilk, letting excess drip back into the bowl. Dredge pieces in the flour mixture in batches, pressing lightly so the coating adheres. Shake off excess and transfer to a rack or plate in a single layer while you heat the oil.

Frying and Finishing

5

Heat oil

Add 3 cups of neutral oil to a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet or a deep saucepan. Heat over medium-high until the oil reaches 350°F (175°C) or a small piece of bread sizzles and browns in about 45–60 seconds. Maintain temperature between 340–360°F while frying.

6

Fry calamari

Working in small batches (do not overcrowd), gently add coated squid rings and tentacles to the hot oil. Fry 1 to 1½ minutes, turning as needed, until the coating is golden and just crisp. Use a slotted spoon or spider to remove calamari and transfer to a paper towel–lined tray to drain. Repeat with remaining squid.

7

Prepare garlic-mint finish

Discard most of the frying oil, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan (or use a clean small skillet). Add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and melt over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced garlic and sauté 20–30 seconds until fragrant and lightly golden (do not burn). Stir in chopped fresh mint, lemon juice, and lemon zest, then remove from heat.

8

Return drained calamari to the pan, or toss briefly in a clean bowl, and pour the garlic-mint butter over the hot fried calamari. Toss gently to coat so the garlic and mint cling to the pieces. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt to finish.

9

Serve immediately with lemon wedges, a sprinkle of chopped parsley if using, and aioli or tartar sauce on the side.