You may have remembered my Black Spaghetti + Calamari recipe from a while back…
Well I had some leftover pieces in my freezer and have been meaning to make good use out of them. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at crispy fried calamari and so I did. This is no ordinary fried calamari though - it’s encrusted in ground almonds, cous cous, and spices. The ultimate flavour is warm and nutty with slight kick from the spices. But don’t underestimate the crust - it’s still super crunchy without the grease of other fried foods. These are best served with a generous squirt of lemon juice and dash of fresh parsley or mint.
Almond Crusted Fried Calamari Recipe
Serves 2-4 people
Ingredients:
- 100g calamari rings
- 50g flour
- 2 eggs
- 80g ground almonds
- 30g cous cous
- 1 tsp sea salt, plus a little extra for later
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- ¼ tsp cracked pepper
- ½ tsp oregano
- 500ml sunflower oil for deep-frying
Method:
Pour your flour onto a plate. This will be Station #1.
In a separate bowl, whisk your eggs together. This will be Station 2.
Combine the ground almonds, cous cous, sea salt, ground paprika, pepper, and oregano onto a final plate. This will be Station 3.
Once you have all stations ready, you can begin. You may need to follow the next steps in stages, but before you do, here’s my #1 tip: use one hand for the dry ingredients and the other for the wet. Dip the squid into Station 1. Then, remove and dust off any excess flour. Place into Station 2 and coat. And finally, onto Station 3. Be sure to coat completely in Station 3.
Place the prepared calamari onto a tray and let it rest in the fridge.
Pour the sunflower oil into a large saucepan over medium heat until hot. You can find out if it’s hot enough by testing the oil with a sea salt flake or a drop of batter. If it bubbles, the oil is definitely hot enough. Fry the coated calamari for about 30 seconds or until golden. You’ll want to do this part in stages.
Once golden, remove from the oil and onto a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the oil. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.
Serve with lemon and fresh parsley or mint.
Happy cooking!
–Ben
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