Squid Calamari Fritters With Aioli
Squid is one of the best seafoods that is widely used in many dishes worldwide. You can find calamari fritters or squid fritters in almost every restaurant in the world. And, the main reason for that is the simplicity of its preparation and it tastes great.
Often these will be referred to as simply fried calamari. Some places call them fritters.
The most important thing about eating calamari fritters is that you should eat them as soon as they are prepared. Because, if you let them sit in the fridge or even at room temperature then the calamari will get dried out and lose its flavor. So, never keep calamari fritters in the fridge or at room temperature. You should always eat them as soon as they are ready.
Nowadays, there are many restaurants who have started offering calamari fritters in different styles and flavors. But, the traditional way to eat calamari fritters is by deep frying them. And, this is the best way to enjoy eating calamari fritters. Because, when you eat them this way then you will get all the flavors and they will remain juicy.
You can pan fry your calamari or also give a try air frying them! Note that if making air fryer calamari that you will want to keep your “batter” as bready as possible. Heavy egg batters don’t tend to work well in an air fryer.
Below are two different recipes to try for Calamari fritters. First is a recipe I was given but haven’t made. Second, the one with the recipe cared is the original recipe for this website. Personally, I skip the aioli and use cocktail sauce though!
What to Serve with Calamari Fritters
The second recipe includes and aioli. But other things that go well with squid are:
Cabbage Slaw (included with a Masa cake recipe)
Calamari Fritters Recipe – The Best Way To Eat Squid!
What you need:
Squid – 2 pounds
Soy sauce – 1/4 cup
Garlic powder – 1 teaspoon
Onion powder – 1/2 teaspoon
Salt – 1/2 teaspoon
Pepper – 1/4 teaspoon
Paprika – 1/8 teaspoon
Oregano – 1/8 teaspoon
Ground black pepper – 1/4 teaspoon
Bread crumbs – 1 cup
Eggs – 2
Butter – 1 tablespoon
Vegetable oil – 1/4 cup
What you do:
Cut the squid into bite size pieces.
Mix all the seasonings together in a small bowl.
Put bread crumbs in another small bowl.
Crack the eggs in another small bowl.
Dip the calamari pieces one by one into the egg mixture, let the excess drip off, then coat with bread crumbs, and place on a plate.
Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot enough (365°F), add the calamari pieces and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon or spider and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.
Serve with lemon wedges.
This recipe will serve 4 to 6 people.
Fried Squid Fritters Recipe with Aioli
Squid Calamari Fritters With Aioli
Calamari fritters, aka squid fritters are a great appetizer. Serve them with aioli or with cocktail or tartar sauce!
Ingredients
- For the fritters:
- 1 lb squid, washed, pat dry and cut into ½’’ rings
- 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp dried basil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- For the aioli:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 8-10 pepperoncini peppers, stemmed, drained and coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp pepperoncini pickle juice
- 2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- To make the aioli, dump the garlic, peppers and parsley into a food processor and pulse them until they are finely choppd.
- Pour in the mayonnaise, followed by a splash of pickle juice and continue to process until well combined.
- Stir in a dash of salt and fair amount of black pepper to taste and spoon the mixture into a serving bowl.
- Leave it in the fridge until the time of serving arrives.
- To make the fritters, pour the milk into a medium bowl and crack the egg into it.
- Whisk them together until well combined and drop in the squid rings.
- Give it a nice stir to coat well with the mixture and cover it with a cling film.
- Leave it in the refrigerator for about about an hour or at least for 20 minutes to marinate.
- Pour oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan, so that it stands a couple of inches from the base and heat it to 375 degrees F.
- Place the flour in a pie plate and stir in a dash of paprika as well as dried basil, followed by salt and generous amount of black pepper.
- Throw in the marinated squid rings, few at a time, into the flour and toss well until they are coated evenly with the seasoned flour.
- Lower these dredged squids into the hot oil and deep fry for a couple of minutes or until golden brown.
- Drain them out using a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl, lined with paper towel to soak away excess grease.
- Sprinkle a dash of sea salt to season and serve right away alongside a bowl of aioli and lemon wedges.
Eating calamari fritters is one of the best ways to enjoy eating seafood. This recipe is easy to make and very tasty. You should try this recipe at home. I am sure you will love it.
Last Updated on April 21, 2023 by Carleen
