My First Time...Cooking Fried Calamari

Squid Bodies

Saturday morning was my alone time.  I went to Whole Foods to do a little shopping.  Along the fish section I saw a lot of great things including lobster, scallops, and squid.  Lobster was ten bucks a tail, so that was a no go for me.  I chose the squid because it would be a new adventure in cooking.  Three quarters of a pound turned out to be around $6.50.  

Flour Mixture

Grab some flour, salt, and pepper.  Mix it up.  Cut your squid bodies into 1/2 inch rings or whatever thickness you are happy with.  Toss the rings in your flour mixture.

Frying the Calamari

Drop the rings into oil.  I used vegetable oil.  I read that the oil should be 350 degrees.  I didn't check the degrees and just put the oil on medium heat.  Calamari cooks fast!  The first few rings I put in were cooked too long and that was only a minute.  So just keep your eye on them and do a few test batches.  

Fried Calamari with a Soy Chili Sauce

The end result...yummy!  Normally Fried Calamari is served with marinara sauce.  My husband mixed some San-J Organic Shoyu with chili sauce.  It made a nice, slightly spicy dipping sauce.  

Calamari in Olive Oil

There was a few bodies left and I decided to try it another way.  I heard on the Dr. Oz show that calamari cooked with some olive oil is a cancer preventative food.  They did a whole episode for all the good things to buy.  Here is a link to the list.  I actually loved this way of cooking the squid.  Addicted to olive oil?  Yes, just a little bit.  

Are you a seafood lover like me?  What will you try or not try?