CRISPY FRIED CALAMARI & AïOLI

Crispy fried calamari & aïoli image

Transport yourself to a seaside taverna with Mediterranean-inspired deep-fried squid rings and garlicky aïoli. Cooking this is easier than you think

Provided by Esther Clark

Categories Starter

Time 20m

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

500g squid, tubes and tentacles, cleaned
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
50g plain flour
50g cornflour
¼ tsp baking powder
pinch of cayenne pepper
150g mayonnaise
1 large garlic clove, finely grated
pinch of saffron
½ lemon, juiced

Steps:

Cut the tentacles off the squid and put in a bowl. Slice the squid tubes into roughly 1cm thick rings and add to the bowl. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan over a low heat, ensuring it is no more than two-thirds full.
For the aïoli, mix the mayonnaise, garlic, saffron and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside.
Toss the squid with the flour, cornflour, baking powder, cayenne and ½ tsp salt. When the oil has reached 170C on a thermometer, or when a cube of bread is dropped in and turns golden brown in 30 seconds, deep-fry the squid in batches for 2 mins, or until lightly golden and crisp. Set aside on a tray lined with kitchen paper. Serve the fried squid with the aïoli on the side for dipping.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 388 calories, Fat 30 grams fat, SaturatedFat 3 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 15 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 1 grams sugar, Fiber 0.4 grams fiber, Protein 14 grams protein, Sodium 0.7 milligram of sodium