My wonderfully loving family in front of the Christmas tree!
This Christmas Eve, my mom and I decided to challenge ourselves by making homemade fried calamari to complete our tradition of serving 7 different types of fish for dinner.
Naturally, we put ourselves to work as if we were in a calamari factory shop.
We bought so much frozen calamari that we had to create 2 stations for coating them to finish in time for dinner! Here’s my mother dipping each calamari ring into flour, egg, and then panko bread crumbs before frying.
A key tip for making these is pressing the bread crumbs firmly onto the egg-soaked calamari ring to ensure they survive the deep fryer.
Here’s Kate taking charge of her calamari prep station!
Place the coated calamari in the deep fryer or stovetop equivalent for LITERALLY ONE MINUTE. That is it!
I promise they will turn a bit darker in color once they rest on a paper towel lined plate. They’ll be the PERFECT consistency of crunchy but not overcooked.
Ta da! My family and I DEVOURED all 2 pounds of this deliciousness.
My friends loved the Old Bay Aioli so much they requested I bring it to our Italian-inspired pot luck the following week! It’s a game-changer that you must pair with these amazing homemade crispy calamari.
YUM!
Crispy Calamari with Old Bay Aioli
Serves 6-10 people
Get the Goods
Crispy Calamari
- 1 lb frozen calamari/squid rings (this is enough for 6 people)
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 5-6 eggs, beaten
- 2-3 tablespoons of milk
- 2-3 cups Panko bread crumbs (Italian style is best!)
- Vegetable oil for frying
Old Bay Aioli
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1 tbsp old bay seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
To make aioli, combine all ingredients together in a bowl and serve!
Just a Few Steps
1. Defrost the bag of calamari in cold water and then strain well in colander.
2. Gather 4 separate small bowls: Place the calamari rings in the first bowl; Then, mix together the flour, salt and pepper in the second bowl; Beat 5-6 eggs with the milk in the third bowl; and place the Panko crumbs in the fourth bowl.
3. Dip one squid ring with a fork into the seasoned flour, coating well, then into the egg wash, coating well, then lastly drop it into the Panko crumbs. Use your other hand to coat the ring thoroughly with Panko and firmly press.
4. Set aside on a plate, and repeat the process with all of the calamari rings.
5. Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy saucepan or deep fryer to 350 degrees.
6. Drop a few rings in at a time into the hot oil for approximately one minute until light golden brown.
7. Remove with metal strainer utensil onto a paper towel lined plate and immediately sprinkle with salt.
8. Serve with lemon wedges and old bay aioli.
My family loved these. How did yours react? Did your calamari come out overdone or just the perfect crunchiness? Tell me in the comments! #cookingwithkrij