Homemade Calamari 1035

Heh, sorry, I've only eaten calimari at restaurants, although it is one of our favorites. When done right, it's wonderful stuff, we had some tonight.

If I had to guess at technique, I'd say they sliced the body into thick rings (maybe 1-2" wide), dipped in flour, dipped in egg wash, and then into seasoned breadcrumbs. Panko would be great, you definitely don't want anything too heavy re: the batter. As an extra touch, they sauteed some finely chopped garlic, grated ginger, chopped scallions and red pepper flakes or chilies until golden-crisp, and then tossed the fried squid with them before serving. It was fantastic. You can use a wok to deep fry, it just might be trickier to regulate the heat. Shallow frying would probably work too, just do it in small batches.

Another way I've had it in restaurants was the body alone (trimmed of tentacles) marinated in soy sauce and ginger, then grilled. IIRC, it was served with a small portion of Japanese mayonnaise for dipping--this might be a good time to experiment with homemade mayo. (TFM can add a generous squirt of sriracha to his mayo!) Squid can be used in stir-fries, and I've also had it in a great spicy curry noodle soup, think something Thai or Malaysian--like laksa! Actually, Wayne B's got a great recipe for thai coconut soup that would adapt well to using squid instead of chicken.

The key is just not to overcook it. It should still be tender, not chewy or rubbery and with a lovely almost buttery flavor. I'm sorry I don't have anything more specific like temperatures or times, but good luck!

Ariane