Fried Calamari

Ingredients

• 1 kg ready-to-cook calamari (fresh and without tentacles)
• 0.5 lemon (juice)
• Salt
• pepper (ground)
• 1 l neutral vegetable oil (for frying)
• 100 g flour
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• 1 red chili pepper

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the calamari, pat dry and cut into rings about 1 cm thick. Leave the tentacles whole. Drizzle with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

2. 2.

   Heat enough fat in a pot. To check if the oil is at the right temperature, insert a wooden stick; small bubbles rising means it’s hot enough (about 170°C). Place the flour in a bowl or shallow dish and coat the rings portion by portion. Tap off excess flour and place the calamari on a slotted spoon. Carefully slide them into the hot fat and fry for about 1 minute until golden brown. Turn occasionally with the slotted spoon to ensure even browning. When crisp, lift from the pot and drain on kitchen paper until all are fried (or keep warm in an oven at 100°C).

3. 3.

   Serve on plates or in bowls, sprinkled with parsley and sliced chili rings. Drizzle with grilled lemon if desired.