Calamari Recipe
Lightly fried tentacles, tubes, and banana peppers. Served with sweet chili sauce.
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Ingredients
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Calamari
Sweet Chili Sauce
Finishing & Breading Station
Method
Calamari Prep & Breading
- 1
Clean and slice squid
If not pre-cleaned, remove head, innards, and cartilage from squid. Separate tubes and tentacles. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Slice tubes into 1/2-inch rings. Trim tentacles if needed and leave whole. Place squid in a bowl and refrigerate until ready.
- 2
Prepare wet batter
In a medium bowl whisk together buttermilk and lightly beaten egg until combined. Season lightly with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Add the squid to the buttermilk mixture and refrigerate for 15–30 minutes to tenderize and help coating adhere.
- 3
Make dry coating
In a shallow wide dish combine all-purpose flour, cornstarch, optional cornmeal, sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, remaining 3/4 tsp salt, and remaining 3/8 tsp black pepper. Stir to evenly distribute spices.
- 4
Prep banana peppers
If using whole small banana peppers, slice into rings about 1/4-inch thick. Pat dry with paper towels. Toss the pepper rings lightly in the extra 1/4 cup flour to help them crisp and prevent the wet batter from making them soggy.
- 5
Dredge
Remove a portion of squid from the buttermilk—work in batches. Shake off excess liquid, then dredge in the seasoned flour mixture, pressing gently so coating adheres. Place coated pieces on a wire rack. Do the same for banana pepper rings.
Frying
- 6
Heat oil
Pour oil into a heavy pot or deep fryer to a depth of about 2–3 inches (enough for shallow deep-frying). Heat oil to 350°F (175°C). Use a thermometer for accuracy.
- 7
Fry calamari and peppers
Working in small batches to avoid lowering the oil temperature, gently place coated squid and banana pepper rings into the hot oil. Fry squid for 1.5–2.5 minutes, until golden brown and crisp — tubes may take slightly longer than tentacles. Fry pepper rings for 1–1.5 minutes until crisp and lightly golden. Stir or turn pieces gently to ensure even browning.
- 8
Drain
Use a slotted spoon or spider to remove fried pieces and transfer to a paper towel–lined tray or wire rack set over a baking sheet. Sprinkle immediately with a light pinch of salt. Let cool 1–2 minutes so excess oil drains.
Sauce & Finish
- 9
Prepare dipping sauce
In a small bowl combine store-bought sweet chili sauce with rice vinegar. Taste and adjust: add red pepper flakes for more heat and chopped cilantro if using. Transfer to a serving ramekin.
- 10