Crispy breaded calamari

Breaded calamari is the universal starter of seaside taverns: tender rings in a golden crust, with lemon and a cold dip alongside. Our rings come already breaded and pre-fried, so all you have to get right is properly hot oil and a good sauce. Kewpie mayonnaise, thicker and richer in egg yolk than the usual kind, makes a Japanese style aioli that clings beautifully to the crust.

20 min9 ingredients 5 steps
Calamari pane crocanți cu sos de maioneză Kewpie și lămâie
Inele de Calamar Crocante — pe farfurie

Instructions

  1. Make the dip first

    Mix the Kewpie mayonnaise with the grated garlic, lemon zest, the juice of half the lemon, the parsley and the smoked paprika. Season with salt and keep the dip in the fridge, cold is the perfect contrast to the hot rings.

  2. Heat the oil to 180°C

    Pour the oil into a deep pot, no more than half full, and heat it to 180°C. Without a thermometer, test with a panko crumb or a small piece of bread: it should sizzle at once and turn golden in 30 seconds.

  3. Fry in small batches ⏱ 3 min

    Add the rings straight from the freezer, a handful at a time, so the temperature does not drop. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the crust is golden and crisp, turning once. Make sure they are piping hot inside before lifting them out.

  4. Drain them properly

    Lift them onto a wire rack rather than paper towels, so the steam does not soften the crust underneath. Sprinkle with flaky salt while hot and carry on with the next batch.

  5. Serve straight away

    Pile the rings onto a warm platter, set the bowl of dip in the middle, scatter the parsley and add the lemon wedges. Eat them within the first few minutes, while they are still loudly crisp.

Good to know

Oil that is not hot enough is the only way to ruin this: the rings soak up oil and the crust goes soft. Hold 180°C, fry in small batches and never cover the calamari after frying. For the from scratch version, cut Squid Tubes U/5 into 1.5 cm rings, coat them in flour, egg and Panko and fry for 90 seconds.

Frequently asked questions

How do you cook squid so it is not rubbery?

You have two windows and nothing in between. Either under 3 minutes over very high heat, as with frying, grilling or the wok, or over 30 minutes in moist heat, as in the oven or braised. Between 5 and 20 minutes the proteins tighten and the flesh turns rubbery, and that is where everyone goes wrong.

Can breaded calamari rings go into the fryer straight from frozen?

Yes, and it is actually recommended. Breaded rings go into the oil straight from the freezer, one handful at a time. Thawed, the coating soaks up the water released by the squid, falls off in the oil and the crust comes out soft.

At what temperature and for how long do you fry breaded calamari?

180°C, 2 to 3 minutes, until the crust is golden. Without a thermometer, drop a flake of panko into the oil: it should sizzle immediately and brown within 30 seconds. Oil that is too cold is the one real cause of greasy calamari.

Can you make calamari rings in an air fryer?

Yes. 200°C, 8 to 10 minutes, in a single layer, with a shake halfway through and a spritz of oil at the start. The crust comes out slightly less even than deep-fried, but the difference is small and you are not left with a liter of used oil.

Why does the crust go soft after frying?

Because of the steam trapped underneath. Drain the rings on a wire rack, not on paper towels, and never cover them. The crunch lasts about five minutes, so serve immediately, they do not wait for the table.

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9 ingredients 5 steps ~20 min