Fried Calamari with Fried Lemons and Lemon Aioli
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 653
- Total Fat
- 51
- Saturated Fat
- 5
- Carbohydrates
- 33
- Dietary Fiber
- 2
- Sugar
- 4
- Protein
- 18
- Cholesterol
- 186
- Sodium
- 591
- Total: 1 hr 30 min (includes marinating time)
- Active: 30 min
Ingredients
Calamari:
1 pound calamari, bodies sliced into 1/2-inch rings and tentacles cut in half
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Lemon Aioli:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Neutral cooking oil, for frying
Flour Seasoning:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons, sliced thin (about 15 slices), plus lemon zest for garnish
1 cup fresh parsley leaves, plus some chopped, for garnish
Directions
Special equipment:
a deep-fryer or deep-fry thermometer- For calamari: Soak the calamari pieces in the buttermilk in a bowl for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
- For the lemon aioli: Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper to a medium bowl. Stir to combine and adjust the seasoning as needed. Set aside until ready to serve.
- Preheat a deep-fryer or several inches of oil in a Dutch oven to 375 degrees F.
- For the flour seasoning: Add the flour, paprika, salt and pepper to a large bowl. Drain the calamari and put into the flour mixture, making sure each piece gets coated with the flour. Dump all the contents into a colander and shake off any excess flour. Line a dish with paper towels and set aside.
- In batches, add the lemon slices and calamari to the preheated oil and fry, mixing with a slotted spoon to prevent the calamari from clumping together, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Right before you take the calamari and lemon out of the fryer, toss in the parsley leaves carefully; this will cook very fast and can splatter, so stand back. Take all the contents out of the fryer to the lined dish and season with salt.
- Serve with the aioli, garnished with the zest and chopped parsley.