Fried Calamari

Name: Fried Calamari
Ingredients: Vegetable oil, for deep-frying; 1 pound clean squid with tentacles, bodies cut into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick rings; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 tablespoons dried parsley; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 lemons, cut into wedges; 1 cup simple tomato sauce, recipe follows or jarred marinara sauce, warmed; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 small onion, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, chopped; 1 stalk celery, chopped; 1 carrot, chopped; Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes; 2 dried bay leaves; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

16 ingredients

24 steps

Ingredients

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
1 pound clean squid with tentacles, bodies cut into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick rings
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons dried parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons, cut into wedges
1 cup simple tomato sauce, recipe follows or jarred marinara sauce, warmed
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

Directions

1

Pour enough oil into a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches.
2

Heat over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Mix the flour, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
3

Working in small batches, toss the squid into the flour mixture to coat.
4

Carefully add the squid to the oil and fry until crisp and very pale golden, about 1 minute per batch.
5

Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the fried calamari to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
6

Place the fried calamari and lemon wedges on a clean plate.
7

Sprinkle with salt.
8

Serve with the marinara sauce.
9

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat.
10

Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes.
11

Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper.
12

Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes.
13

Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick.
14

Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning.
15

If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
16

Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor.
17

Process until smooth.
18

Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
19

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags.
20

This will freeze up to 6 months.
21

Yield: 6 cups
22

Prep Time: 15 minutes
23

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
24

East of preparation: easy