Lidias Steamed Calamari Food

LIDIA BASTIANICH'S CALAMARI ALLA MANFREDI

Steps:

• Clean the calamari one at time, by pulling the tentacles slowly until all the innards come out of the body. Cut off the tentacles below the eyes and discard the rest of the head and the innards; pop out and discard the small hard beak where the tentacles join. Cut off the pointy tip of each calamari body and peel off the skin; discard both. Rinse the trimmed tentacles and the body, holding it open under running water to flush the cavity. Slice the cleaned body crosswise, in rings 1/3-inch thick. Drain all the cleaned calamari tentacles and rings in the cooking colander.
• Meanwhile, pour enough water into the deep pot so that when you set the colander in position it doesn't touch the water.
• Shave off the lemon peel (zest layer only) with a vegetable peeler, in short strips. Drop these into the water with the bay leaves, cover the pot, and simmer the water for about 1/2 hour to infuse it with the aromas of lemon and bay.
• Keep the water simmering and set the colander with all the squid in it inside the pot. Put on the cover and steam the calamari gently. After 2 minutes, lift the cover, tumble the calamari over a couple of times in the colander, and sprinkle over a couple pinches of salt. Cover and steam another 2 minutes, tumble, and salt again. Repeat after 2 more minutes - you should have used 1/4 teaspoon salt in all. Steam for a total of 8 to 10 minutes.
• When the calamari is tender but slightly resilient to the bite, remove the colander from the pot, season the pieces with another 1/4 teaspoon salt, and tumble them over. Let the calamari drain and cool for 5 minutes.
• Turn the calamari into a bowl while still quite warm. Toss with the olive oil and lemon juice, sprinkle over the remaining salt, pepperoncino, grated orange zest, and parsley, and toss well again. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve warm or at room temperature.

FRIED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Pour enough oil into a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches. Heat over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Mix the flour, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Working in small batches, toss the squid into the flour mixture to coat. Carefully add the squid to the oil and fry until crisp and very pale golden, about 1 minute per batch. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the fried calamari to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
• Place the fried calamari and lemon wedges on a clean plate. Sprinkle with salt. Serve with the marinara sauce.
• In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
• Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
• If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

LIDIA'S STEAMED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Rinse the trimmed tentacles and the body, holding it open under running water to flush the cavity. Slice the cleaned body crosswise, in rings 1/3 inch thick. Drain all the tentacles and rings in the steamer basket colander.
• Meanwhile, pour enough water into a steamer or deep pot so that when you set the basket in position it doesn't touch the water.
• Shave off the lemon peel (zest layer only) with a vegetable peeler, in short strips. Squeeze the juice of the lemon and reserve. Drop the zest into the water with the bay leaves, cover the pot, and simmer the water for about 1/2 an hour, to infuse it with the aromas of lemon and bay.
• Keep the water simmering, and set the steamer basket with all the calamari in it inside the pot. Put on the cover, making sure it fits snugly inside, and steam the calamari gently. After 2 minutes, lift the cover, tumble the calamari over a couple of times in the colander, and sprinkle over it a couple of pinches of salt. Cover and steam another 2 minutes, tumble, and salt again. Repeat after 2 more minutes-you should have used 1/4 teaspoon salt in all. Steam for a total of 8 to 10 minutes.
• When the calamari is tender but slightly resilient to the bite, remove the colander, season the pieces with another 1/4 teaspoon salt, mix well, then let them drain and cool for 5 minutes.
• Turn the calamari into a bowl while still quite warm. Toss with the olive oil and lemon juice, sprinkle over the remaining salt, the peperoncino, grated orange zest, and parsley, and toss well again. Taste, and adjust the seasonings.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

CALAMARI IN THE LUCIANA STYLE

Steps:

• Clean the calamari according to directions on page 40, leaving the skin intact if you prefer. Cut the bodies into 1/2-inch rings and set them and the tentacles in a colander to drain well.
• Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy skillet over medium heat. Scatter the garlic over the oil and cook, shaking the pan, until golden, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to high, scatter the calamari in the skillet, and season with the thyme and lightly with crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring regularly, until the water from the calamari has evaporated and the calamari have begun to caramelize, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Sprinkle the vinegar over the calamari and scrape up the browned bits from the pan. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil, continuing to scrape the skillet. Cook until the wine is evaporated and the calamari are golden, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and crushed red pepper to taste, stir in the parsley, and serve.