13
14
Fried Calamari
Makes about 3 servings
1
½
pounds cleaned calamari, including some tentacles
vegetable oil for frying
1¹∕³
cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2
teaspoons finely chopped parsley
¾
teaspoon granulated garlic
¾
teaspoon each: kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
marinara sauce for dipping
fresh lemon wedges for garnish
Rinse and drain the calamari; place on thick layers of paper towels,
pressing and blotting them completely dry with another layer of
paper towels on top. Cut the bodies into
½
-inch rings, and cut
tentacles into halves or quarters if large. Heat oil to 360°F in the
Waring Pro
®
Professional Deep Fryer. Preheat the oven to 500°F.
Line two cookie sheets with a triple thickness of paper towels. Put
the flour, parsley, granulated garlic, salt, and pepper into a jumbo
resealable food storage bag. Working with about a quarter of the
calamari at a time, drop calamari into the bag, seal and shake.
Squeeze the sides of the bag to completely coat the calamari.
Take care that the pieces are individually coated and not stuck
together. Remove from the bag and place on a baking sheet lined
with plastic wrap. Repeat until all the calamari have been coated
evenly with flour mixture.
Gently add calamari to hot oil, about 1 to 1
½
cups at a time, trying
to let all the pieces drop in separately. Do not crowd the calamari,
because crowding will drop the temperature of the oil. The calamari
will be pale golden and just cooked in about 40 to 60 seconds.
Do not overcook – they will become tough. Lift the calamari out,
using a slotted spoon or metal skimmer, and drain in a single layer
on prepared cookie sheets. Repeat with the remaining calamari.
When all the calamari have been fried, reheat them in the 500°F
oven for several minutes. Sprinkle lightly with a little more salt,
and serve with warm marinara sauce for dipping.
Herbed Beer Batter Onion Rings
Makes 2 to 4 servings
¾
cup plus 2 tablespoons lager or ale
1
cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
½
cup chopped fresh parsley
1
tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1
teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic
¾
teaspoon kosher salt
1 to 2
onions (about 1 pound total)
flour for dusting
vegetable oil for frying
kosher salt for sprinkling
In a medium bowl, whisk the beer into the flour until smooth.
Stir n the parsley, thyme, and garlic. Let batter stand 30 minutes.
Stir in salt. Cut onion crosswise into ½-inch thick slices. Remove
and discard skin, stem and root ends. Separate slices into rings.
Toss lightly with flour. Heat the vegetable oil in the Waring Pro
®
Professional Deep Fryer until it reaches 375°F. Working with about
4 or 5 rings at a time, dip each ring into batter, and allow excess to
drip off. Carefully lower coated onion rings into deep fryer, one at a
time. Fry until golden, turning as needed, about 1 to 2 minutes. Lift
out with tongs and place on layered paper towels to drain. Sprinkle
with kosher salt while hot, and serve.
