Neelys Fried Calamari Food

CRISPY FRIED CALAMARI RECIPE

Steps:

• Slice the calamari tubes into ¾-inch thick rings.
• In a medium bowl, stir 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt in ½ cup milk.
• Add the calamari rings to the milk mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, oregano, black pepper, and cayenne (make sure the mixture is well combined).
• Prepare a large colander and set it on top of a large bowl. Using a pair of tongs, take a portion of the calamari rings (about ½ of them) shake off excess milk and toss the calamari in the flour mixture. Toss the calamari to coat evenly. Put the coated calamari in the colander. Repeat with the rest of the calamari.
• Turn your oven on a low 150 degrees F. Prepare a large sheet pan and set a wire rack on top. Top the wire rack with paper towel.
• Heat 4 inches of grape seed oil in a small cooking pot (I used a 2.5 quart pot) to somewhere between 350 and 365 degrees F. To test your oil, drop one calamari ring, many bubbles will form around it and the calamari will begin to float.
• Once your oil is ready, using a pair of tongs, gently add some of the calamari in and fry for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the calamari from the oil and arrange it on the paper towel on top of your prepared wire rack. Immediately season with kosher salt, then transfer to your warm oven to keep warm while you work on the rest. Repeat until you have fried all the calamari.
• Transfer the fried calamari to a serving plate and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice!

FRIED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Add the oil to a wide pan and heat to about 325 degrees F. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Pat the calamari dry with paper towels.
• Combine the flour and cayenne pepper. Working in batches, toss 1/3 of the calamari in the seasoned flour. Transfer the calamari to a mesh strainer and shake off the excess flour.
• Carefully drop the calamari into the hot oil; the oil should bubble gently and the calamari should have plenty of room to swim around and fry gently. Do not crowd the pan or the oil won't come back up to temperature quickly. When done, the calamari should be very pale golden and tender. It should not look like little brown rubber bands. Remove the calamari from the hot oil and drain it on paper towels. Salt it immediately and keep it warm in the oven until all the calamari is done.
• Repeat in 2 more batches with the remaining calamari.
• Serve with lemon wedges.

PANKO FRIED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Preheat the deep fryer to 375 degrees F.
• Whisk the egg whites and flour together until smooth. Dip the calamari rings into the egg white batter. Toss calamari rings in the panko, 1 piece at a time.
• In a deep fryer set at high temperature, fry the panko-coated calamari until golden, about 2 minutes. Season with kosher salt and serve immediately.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the lotus root for 20 seconds. Refresh in cold water.
• Add lotus root, julienned papaya, orange juice, Thai chile and kosher salt. Mix well.
• Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
• Yield: 2 cups

WET FRIED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Place the peanut oil in a 4 to 5-quart Dutch oven and place over medium-high heat. Heat oil until it reaches 375 degrees F.
• Rinse the squid thoroughly and pat dry. Cut the tentacles in half lengthwise and the tubes into 1/2-inch rings. Set aside.
• Place the egg, water and flour into a bowl and whisk thoroughly to combine. In small handfuls, dip the squid in the batter and shake off the excess. In batches, gently lower the squid into the hot oil. Cook for 1 minute. The squid will not be browned, but lightly golden in color. Remove the squid and transfer to a cooling rack turned upside down set over a newspaper-lined sheet pan. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Repeat until all of the squid is cooked. Make sure to check the temperature of the oil before each batch to ensure it is 375 degrees F. Serve immediately.

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.

NEELY'S BERRY PARFAIT

Steps:

• Berry mixture:
• Add 6 ounces raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice to medium bowl. Stir well to incorporate. Allow the berry mixture to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Puree:
• Add 6 ounces of raspberries to a food processor along with 2 tablespoons sugar. Puree until smooth. Remove the raspberry puree to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let chill in the refrigerator.
• Whipped cream:
• Whip the heavy cream with a hand mixer until frothy and thick. Add the sugar and continue to beat until medium peaks appear. Gently fold in the raspberry puree until blended.
• To serve, add a spoonful of the heavy cream to the bottom of an old fashioned glass, top with a spoonful of fruit, and sprinkle with a handful of granola. Repeat the layering once more. Top with a small spoonful of the cream and a few berries on top. Repeat with the remaining glasses and ingredients.

FRIED CALAMARI

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together the milk and 2 teaspoons salt. Cut the squid tubes 3/4-inch thick, then add to the milk mixture along with the tentacles. Let sit for 5 minutes or up to 1 hour. (Refrigerate if soaking for more than 15 minutes.)
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and paprika or black pepper (if using). Use your hands to shake excess milk from the squid, then transfer to the flour mixture. Toss until well coated; you may need to open up the tubes to ensure their insides are coated in flour.
• In a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium, heat ½ inch of oil to 375 degrees. Line a plate or sheet pan with paper towels. Add a handful of the squid to the oil and cook until golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Stir only after the coating seems to have set. (Any sooner and the coating could fall off.) Use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer to the lined plate. Season with salt.
• Return the oil to 375 degrees, fish out any browned bits, and repeat with the rest of the squid in batches. Eat with a squeeze of lemon and/or dunked in marinara sauce.

CRISPY SQUID WITH CAPERS

Steps:

• Cut the squid into rings about ½cm thick. Tip the flour into a freezer bag and season well. Add the capers, then give everything a good shake to mix together. Tip the squid into the bag, then shake again until all the rings are well coated. Mix together the garlic and mayonnaise, then place in a serving bowl.
• Pour some oil into a large pan until it comes about 7cm up the sides, but the pan is no more than a third full. Place over a medium heat and let the oil warm up. To test that the oil is ready, place a small piece of bread in the pan - it should sizzle when it touches the oil.
• Remove a handful of squid from the flour and shake off any excess. Gently drop into the oil, then cook for about 3 mins until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining squid. Serve straight away with the mayonnaise and lemon wedges.

CRISPY FRIED CALAMARI & AïOLI

Steps:

• Cut the tentacles off the squid and put in a bowl. Slice the squid tubes into roughly 1cm thick rings and add to the bowl. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan over a low heat, ensuring it is no more than two-thirds full.
• For the aïoli, mix the mayonnaise, garlic, saffron and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Toss the squid with the flour, cornflour, baking powder, cayenne and ½ tsp salt. When the oil has reached 170C on a thermometer, or when a cube of bread is dropped in and turns golden brown in 30 seconds, deep-fry the squid in batches for 2 mins, or until lightly golden and crisp. Set aside on a tray lined with kitchen paper. Serve the fried squid with the aïoli on the side for dipping.