Calamari is commonly served with lemon wedges and cocktail sauce.
Lightly sprinkled with lemon, crispy fried calamari rings are usually a crowd-pleasing appetizer at restaurants. Most people indulge in calamari at restaurants because they don't think it's possible to cook at home. However, most supermarkets have frozen squid parts in the frozen seafood section. Most packages of frozen calamari come with smooth tubes and tentacles, but you may be able to find some packages containing only tubes. Once you bring them home, the tubes can be sliced and fried in a pan.
Instructions
1. Rinse the calamari tubes thoroughly under running water.
2. Slice the calamari tubes into 1/4-inch thick rings.
3. Pour the buttermilk in a bowl and soak the rings in the buttermilk for 20 to 30 minutes. After 20 to 30 minutes, drain the calamari.
4. Place the flour in a separate bowl and add the salt and pepper. Season the flour with other spices if you wish.
5. Add the vegetable oil to a large Dutch oven, filling it about halfway with oil. Heat the oil to 400 degrees.
6. Dredge the calamari rings in the seasoned flour, then drop the rings in the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pot. Fry in batches if necessary.
7. Fry the calamari for 1 minute, then remove the rings with a slotted spoon.
8. Drain on paper towels, then serve hot with a wedge of lemon and cocktail sauce.
Tags: calamari rings, calamari tubes, cocktail sauce, with lemon