Rhode Island-style Calamari Recipe

Rinse the calamari under cold water and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Trim any excess cartilage if needed. Place the rings and tentacles in a bowl.

Add the milk, minced garlic, lemon juice, kosher salt, and black pepper to the bowl with the calamari. Stir to combine, cover, and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes. The brief soak tenderizes and flavors the squid.

When ready to bread, remove the calamari from the marinade and let excess milk drip off; do not rinse. Pat lightly with paper towel if very wet.

In a large shallow bowl or rimmed baking sheet, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, breadcrumbs (if using), paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, black pepper, and kosher salt until evenly combined.

Dredge small batches of the drained calamari in the flour mixture, pressing gently so the coating adheres. Shake off excess and place the coated pieces on a rack to rest for 5 minutes—this helps the crust set and stay crispy when fried.

Pour the oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven so that it’s about 2–3 inches deep. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C). If you don't have a thermometer, test with a small pinch of flour—the oil should sizzle steadily and brown the flour in about 30–40 seconds.

Working in small batches (do not overcrowd), carefully add a portion of breaded calamari to the hot oil. Fry until golden and crisp, about 1.5–2 minutes per batch depending on size. Use a slotted spoon or spider to remove the calamari and transfer to a paper towel–lined baking sheet or rack. Immediately season lightly with a pinch of kosher salt.

Allow the oil to return to 350°F between batches. Reheat remaining batches and continue frying until all calamari is cooked (total frying time will be about 6–8 minutes across batches).

Once all calamari is fried, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges and the warm peppers-and-garlic toss (see next section).

While the calamari fries (or just after finishing the last batch), heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.

Add the thinly sliced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and just beginning to turn golden, about 30–45 seconds—do not burn.

Add the sliced pickled cherry peppers and banana peppers to the skillet along with red pepper flakes (if using) and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sauté for 1–2 minutes until heated through and the flavors marry. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.

Spoon the warm peppers and garlic over the fried calamari when plating, or serve on the side so guests can add peppers to taste. The hot-sweet-pickled pepper note is characteristic of Rhode Island–style calamari.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), lemon zest, minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl until smooth. Adjust seasoning and lemon to taste.

Serve the dip chilled alongside the calamari for dipping.