Calamares or calamari is a deep fried squid recipe is an appetizer that is common in Spain and the Philippines. The concept is similar to fish and chips, only that you use squid. There are many variations as to breading it and there is a long list of dipping sauces as well. I love eating it with vinegar with lots of garlic or sour cream dipping sauce.
Take note that it is important to use ice cold water for the batter to make the dish crispy.
Ingredients:
1lb medium sized squid
1 cup all purpose flour
1 egg
3/4 cup cold water
Cooking oil for deep frying
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup sour cream
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon cut into wedges
To make the dipping sauce, ombine the sour cream and minced garlic. Add salt if desired. Refrigerate.
Clean the squid and remove the ink sacs. Separate the heads from the body. Slice the squid into 1/2 inch rings.
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour and season it with salt and pepper. Dredge the squid using this mixture.
In a separate bowl combine the egg, 1/2 cup of flour and the cold water. Mix it well.
Heat oil in a deep fryer or saucepan. Test if the oil is hot enough by dropping some batter. It should float after 1-2 minutes and turn golden brown. If it does not then heat it some more, if it floats too quickly turn the heat off for 2 minutes to let the oil cool a little bit.
Dip the squid rings in batter and fry for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Do the same for the squid heads. Drain the excess oil using paper towels or put the calamares in a strainer.
Serve warm with the sour cream dipping sauce and lemon wedges.
Photo Courtesy Of: jlastras