Calamari Fritti With Creamy Ponzu Dipping Sauce Food

CALAMARI IN A CREAMY WHITE WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add crushed garlic, and cook for a few seconds until it turns golden brown. Stir in the squid, and cook until it turns white. Pour in white wine and cherry pepper slices; bring to a simmer, and cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
• Stir cornstarch into the cream, and add to the simmering calamari. Season with red pepper flakes, basil, salt, and pepper; stir until thickened. To serve, toss pasta with sauce, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

CALAMARI FRITTI

Steps:

• Rinse the squid under cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the body of the squid into 1/2-inch rings and trim the tentacles as necessary. Combine the milk, egg, and basil leaves in a bowl; mix with a fork until lightly beaten. Put the prepared calamari in the milk mixture and stick it in the refrigerator while getting everything else set up; it fries better if marinated and chilled for about 15 minutes.
• Pour about 2 inches of oil in a fryer or large, heavy pot and heat to 375 degrees F. Mix the flour and paprika in a pie dish or plate; season with a fair amount of salt and pepper. Toss the calamari in the seasoned flour to coat. Fry for 1 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and salt, to taste. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried calamari to paper towels to drain. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and dipping sauces.
• Smoked Jalapeno Aioli:
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 to 2 canned chipotle chile in adobo
• 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Pinch salt
• Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend for 1 minute to combine. Set aside to allow the flavors to marry. Serve as a dipping sauce with fried calamari.
• Yield: 1 cup
• Tomato-Basil Sauce:
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 fresh basil leaves, hand-torn
• 1 (16-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• Pinch sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Coat a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of the oil and warm over medium heat. Add the garlic and basil; cook, stirring, until soft. Add the crushed tomatoes and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the remaining olive oil. Serve as a dipping sauce with fried calamari.
• Yield: 2 cups

CRISPY CALAMARI WITH PICKLED JALAPENO DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Whisk together the chopped jalapenos, mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon of reserved pickling liquid. Season with salt and set aside.
• Rinse the calamari under cold running water and lightly pat dry, leaving it slightly damp. Leave the tentacles whole and cut the bodies crosswise into 1/4-inch wide rings.
• Heat the oil in a heavy pot over high heat until it registers 375 degrees F on a thermometer.
• Place the panko in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Dredge a small handful of the squid rings in the panko, tossing to coat well. Shake off any excess and, with a slotted spoon, add the rings to the oil, using the spoon to separate the rings. Cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, transfer the rings to paper towels to drain. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve with the pickled jalapeno dipping sauce.
• BYOC: Don't love the heat? Try substituting your favorite pickled item for the jalapenos.

FIVE-SPICE CALAMARI WITH DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• For dipping sauce:
• Combine all ingredients except mayonnaise in processor. Blend well. Transfer to bowl. Stir in mayonnaise. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Whisk before serving.)
• For calamari:
• Pour oil to depth of 3 inches in heavy large pot. Heat to 350°F. Whisk next 4 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Pour buttermilk into another large bowl. Add calamari to buttermilk. Working in batches, remove calamari; dredge in flour mixture. Fry until just crisp, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Serve warm with sauce.
• *Available in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets.
• **A blend of ground anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and ginger available in the spice section of most supermarkets.

CALAMARI FRITTI

Steps:

• Combine flour, egg, beer, onion powder, garlic powder, garlic salt and pepper.
• Dip 4 to 5 squid rings into batter to coat.
• Deep fry in hot oil (about 350 degrees F on a candy/fryer thermometer) until tender and golden brown, generally no more than 45 seconds to 1 minute.
• Don't overcrowd or they will take longer to brown and squid will become tough.
• Remove squid with slotted spoon on drain on paper towel.
• Serve with a dipping sauce if you like, or drench in freshly squeezed lemon!

CALAMARI FRITTI WITH CREAMY PONZU DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Pour enough oil into heavy large skillet to reach depth of 2 inches. Heat oil to 375°F. Whisk mayonnaise and next 5 ingredients in small bowl for dipping sauce. Chill.
• Sprinkle calamari with salt and pepper. Place flour in medium bowl. Working in batches, toss calamari rings and tentacles in flour to coat, then fry in oil until golden and crisp, turning occasionally, about 1 minute. Using slotted spoon, transfer calamari to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt; serve immediately with dipping sauce.

CALAMARI IN CREAMY WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add crushed garlic, and cook for a few seconds until it turns golden brown. Stir in the squid, and cook until it turns white. Pour in white wine and cherry pepper slices; bring to a simmer, and cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
• Stir cornstarch into the cream, and add to the simmering calamari. Season with red pepper flakes, basil, salt, and pepper; stir until thickened. To serve, toss pasta with sauce, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.