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Here is a fantastic, blog-ready recipe for Crispy Spanish-Style Calamari Tapas<\/b> (Calamares a la Andaluza<\/i>). It features an ultra-tender soaking trick, a light and shatteringly crisp coating, and an easy homemade tomato dipping sauce.<\/span><\/p>\n Prep time:<\/b> 15 minutes<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Cook time:<\/b> 15 minutes<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Resting\/Soaking time:<\/b> 20\u201330 minutes<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Servings:<\/b> 4 (as a tapas appetizer)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n 500g (approx. 1 lb)<\/b> fresh or thawed frozen squid tubes and tentacles, cleaned and cut into uniform 1\/2-inch rings<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n 1.5 cups<\/b> low-fat milk (the secret tenderizer)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n \u00bd cup<\/b> all-purpose flour<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n \u00bd cup<\/b> cornstarch (for that extra light crunch)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n \u00bd tsp<\/b> baking powder<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n \u00bd tsp<\/b> garlic powder<\/p>\n<\/li>\n \u00bc tsp<\/b> sweet smoked Spanish paprika<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper<\/b> to taste<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil<\/b> for frying<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n 2 tbsp<\/b> extra virgin olive oil<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n 3 cloves<\/b> garlic, roughly chopped<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n 1 can (425g \/ 15 oz)<\/b> tomato sauce or tomato passata<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n 1 tbsp<\/b> fresh basil, chopped<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n 1 tsp<\/b> dried oregano<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n A pinch<\/b> of sugar, sea salt, and black pepper<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Fresh lemon wedges<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Place your sliced calamari rings and tentacles into a bowl and submerge them completely in the milk.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Cover and let them soak in the refrigerator for <\/span>20 to 30 minutes<\/span><\/b>.<\/span> (Don’t skip this step\u2014the enzymes in the milk break down the proteins to ensure melt-in-your-mouth tenderness).<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n While the calamari is soaking, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Add the chopped garlic and saut\u00e9 for about 30 seconds until fragrant (be careful not to burn it).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Pour in the tomato sauce, dried oregano, a pinch of sugar, salt, and pepper.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Simmer gently over low heat for 10 minutes until thickened. Stir in the fresh basil, taste for seasoning, and keep warm in a small serving bowl.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n Remove the calamari from the milk and pat them completely dry with paper towels. Discard the milk.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n In a wide bowl or shallow tray, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Heat about 1 inch of oil in a deep skillet, cast-iron pan, or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it reaches <\/span>180\u00b0C (350\u00b0F\u2013375\u00b0F)<\/span><\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n Working in small batches to avoid crowding the pan, toss a handful of calamari into the flour mixture until thoroughly coated. Shake off any excess flour.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Carefully drop the calamari into the hot oil. Fry for just 1 to 2 minutes<\/b> until light golden and crispy. Squid cooks lightning-fast; overcooking will make it rubbery!<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Remove with a slotted spoon or spider strainer and transfer to a wire rack or plate lined with paper towels.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Immediately sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt while it’s still hot. Let the oil come back up to temperature before dropping the next batch.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n Arrange the crispy calamari around or alongside your warm tomato tapas sauce.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Garnish generously with fresh chopped parsley and bright lemon wedges.<\/span> Serve immediately while piping hot and crunchy!<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Here is a fantastic, blog-ready recipe for Crispy Spanish-Style Calamari Tapas (Calamares a la Andaluza). It features an ultra-tender soaking trick, a light and shatteringly crisp coating, and an easy homemade tomato dipping sauce. Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Resting\/Soaking time: 20\u201330 minutes Servings: 4 (as a tapas appetizer) Ingredients For the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19229,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1076,926,927,957],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-calamari","category-food","category-recipes","category-seafood"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
Ingredients<\/h2>\n
For the Calamari:<\/h3>\n
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For the Quick Tomato Tapas Sauce:<\/h3>\n
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For Garnish:<\/h3>\n
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Instructions<\/h2>\n
Step 1: Tenderize the Calamari<\/h3>\n
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Step 2: Make the Dipping Sauce<\/h3>\n
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Step 3: Prepare the Breading & Oil<\/h3>\n
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Step 4: Fry to Golden Perfection<\/h3>\n
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Step 5: Plate and Serve<\/h3>\n
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