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Salt and Pepper Fried Calamari
Serves 4 Prep 5 min Cook 8 min Total 13 min Type Starter Origin Thai

Salt and Pepper Fried Calamari

Salt and pepper squid: calamari rings dredged in cornflour with white pepper and salt, deep-fried light and crisp.

Serves 4 Prep 5 minutes Cook 8 minutes Units Rate

Overview

My first job out of college was working as the manager of a shoe store in Marina, near Monterey, California. I hated every second of that job but loved living in Monterey and all the amazing locally caught seafood. Squid was and still is a speciality there, and it was during my time of selling cheap shoes that I learned this method of frying calamari to perfection. I’ve tried a few other recipes but, in my opinion, this one ticks all the boxes. The crispy fried squid is delicious served with the sweet chilli sauce dip.

Ingredients

Protein

  • 900g (2lb) small squid tubes and tentacles, cleaned (see note)

Marinade

  • 500ml (2 cups) full-fat (whole) milk, plus more if needed
  • 2 eggs

Aromatics

  • 6 red spur chillies, slit lengthways

Coating

  • 120g (1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 120g (1 cup) cornflour (cornstarch)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp red chilli powder

Fat

  • Rapeseed (canola) oil, for deep-frying

Seasoning

  • Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Serving

  • Sweet chilli sauce, to serve

Method

Stage 1 - Marinate

  1. Place the whole squid tubes and tentacles in a bowl and pour over 250ml (1 cup) of the milk. Milk is a natural tenderizer, which gives the squid a perfect texture when fried, so be sure the squid is completely covered; add a little more if necessary.
  2. Cover the bowl with cling film (plastic wrap) and place in the fridge overnight to marinate.

Stage 2 - Prepare

  1. When ready to cook, drain the squid, discarding the milk, which will have turned pink due to the colouring of the tentacles.
  2. Add the remaining 250ml (1 cup) of milk to the bowl and whisk in the eggs until smooth.
  3. Return the squid to the bowl along with the spur chillies.
  4. Mix both flours together on a large plate with the salt and chilli powder.

Stage 3 - Fry

  1. Now heat about 750ml (3 cups) of oil in a wok and heat to 190°C (375°F) over a medium-high heat. If the oil is not hot enough, your calamari will become oily and soggy instead of deliciously crispy.
  2. It is important to work in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.
  3. Dip the squid and chillies into the flour mixture, ensuring each piece is coated evenly, then fry for about 1 minute, or until golden brown.
  4. Transfer the calamari and chillies to a paper towel to soak up the excess oil and repeat until all of the squid and chillies are cooked.
  5. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with sweet chilli sauce.

Notes

I purchase my squid already cleaned, which is of course the easiest option. If you can only get uncleaned squid, cleaning them isn’t difficult. Pull the head from the tube body and remove and discard the long stiff cartilage from the tube. Then cut the head and ink sac away from the tentacles and discard. Peel the thin membrane from the tube and you’re ready to go.

Serving

Serve with sweet chilli sauce.

Storage

  • Best served immediately.

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