Best Crispy Fried Calamari

For me, there is nothing more 'summer' than having crispy fried calamari by the Mediterranean sea.

I can eat a whole plate of them and to avoid being disappointed in restaurants, I have perfected how to make them at home.

Now my son wants them at least every week, and they are so easy I have no excuse.

I love to drizzle them with a squeeze of lemon and pomegranate molasses because of course, that's the Lebanese way.

If you are a seafood lover, you might also like to try my fried anchovies recipe (samak bizri) and my famous sayadieh (fisherman's rice).

Not forgetting my samke harra (spicy fish) and finally my fish in tahini sauce.

I love fish and will be uploading more recipes in the future I promise.

Ingredients

I buy baby calamari as I find they are less chewy and quicker to cook.

These are baby 'patagonian' squid and all I have to do is wash and dice them into 2cm rings.

You can buy 'frito' flour designed for crispy fried things, which basically has flour and semolina in it.

I just add paprika, black pepper and salt.

If you can't find it then use cornflour which is just as good, and I use this often for a light crispy finish.

Instructions

The fishmonger gave me a brilliant tip for fried calamari and that was to freeze the spiced flour, which somehow makes it even better.

I tried it and it worked, so if you can freeze a few hours beforehand, do so.

These are the main steps to make the perfect fried calamari:

Step 1: Make the spiced flour

Step 2: Wash and slice the baby squid

Step 3: coat in the flour

Step 4: Deep fry

Variations

Calamari is a simple fish dish that shouldn;t be essed around with too much, however you can make it:

• Spicier - add chili flakes into the spiced flour or at the end if you are a spicy baby.
• Full fish feast - make with some fried handcut chips and fried anchovies
• Healthier - you could probably put these in an airfryer but I don't own one so can't tell you how!

Top tips:

Make sure you heat the oil well (ideally to 175°C/375°F).

You can test the oil by hovering your hand over and if you feel the heat then it's probably hot enough.

Alternatively, put in a little bit of bread to test and if it fizzles around the edges and floats to the surface then it's hot enough.

Calamari should be eaten right away to avoid it turning soggy so serve when people arealready at the table as they only take 2 minutes to fry!

📖 Recipe

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Best Crispy Fried Calamari

Delicately spiced, crispy fried calamari

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Lebanese, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Keyword Fish, Quick and Easy, Seafood

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Servings 2 people

Author Zaatar and Zaytoun

Ingredients

• 300 g baby calamari sliced into rings
• 1.5 cups 'frito' flour OR cornflour
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• good pinch of salt approx ¼ tsp
• vegetable oil for frying approx 3 cups

Instructions

1. After washing the calamari, slice into 1cm thick rings. Drain and set aside

2. In a wide bowl, add the flour, paprika, black pepper and salt. Mix well
3. Toss the calamari in the flour until well coated
4. In a deep frying pan, add around 2 inches of oil and heat on medium high for 5-10 minutes (test with a small piece of bread if it sizzles around the edge it's hot enough)

5. Fry the calamari in batches for around 2 minutes until golden and crisp, and drain on a paper towel lined plate

6. Serve with lemon wedges, a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of pomegranate mollases.

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Check out our Youtube page for full video tutorials, our Facebook group to discuss Lebanese cooking, as well as our tiktok page for quick tips.

Related

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Pairing

These are my favorite salads to serve with fish and seafood dishes: