Fried Calamari
Makes about 3 servings
vegetable oil for frying
1½ pounds cleaned calamari, including some tentacles
³cups unbleached,
2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
¾teaspoon granulated garlic
¾teaspoon each: kosher salt and freshly ground pepper marinara sauce for dipping
fresh lemon wedges for garnish1¹∕
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
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.
Place the flour, parsley, granulated garlic, salt, and pepper in 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 has been coated evenly with flour mixture.
Gently add calamari to hot oil, about 1 to 1½ 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.
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