Fried Calamari with Lemon

Name: Fried Calamari with Lemon
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 lbs cleaned squid (rings and tentacles), patted dry; 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup fine semolina (or cornmeal); 2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper; 6 cups neutral oil (for frying); 2 lemons, cut in wedges; 1 cup marinara sauce (for dipping); 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Lightly seasoned squid rings and tentacles dredged in seasoned flour and fried until shatteringly crisp, served with lemon wedges and marinara for dipping.

30 minMediumServes 4340 cal/serving

ItalianAppetizerStovetopPescatarianHalal-friendlyDairy-FreePork-FreeAlcohol-Free

Ingredients

2 lbs cleaned squid (rings and tentacles), patted dry
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fine semolina (or cornmeal)
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
6 cups neutral oil (for frying)
2 lemons, cut in wedges
1 cup marinara sauce (for dipping)
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

1

Combine 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup fine semolina (or cornmeal), 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper in a large bowl and whisk together.
2

Pour 6 cups neutral oil (for frying) into a heavy pot or Dutch oven to a depth of 3 inches and heat to 375°F (190°C).
3

Working in batches, toss 2 lbs patted dry cleaned squid (rings and tentacles) in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Do not overcrowd the pot.
4

Fry each batch for 2-3 minutes until golden and crisp. The squid will cook quickly; do not overcook. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Season immediately with a pinch of extra salt.
5

Transfer to a serving platter, scatter 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley over the top, and serve at once with 2 cut in wedges lemons and 1 cup marinara sauce (for dipping) for dipping.

Questions

Can I make Fried Calamari with Lemon gluten-free?

Yes. The gluten in this entry is 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup fine semolina (or cornmeal). Swap the flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend (where it only thickens a sauce, half as much cornstarch also works). Everything else proceeds as written.

How long does Fried Calamari with Lemon keep?

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within two days (seafood turns fast). Reheat uncovered in a 400 F oven (or an air fryer) for a few minutes to bring the crust back; the microwave softens it.

Can I halve or double Fried Calamari with Lemon?

Yes. As written it serves 4. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. When doubling on the stovetop, use your widest pan or work in two batches so the food sears instead of steaming.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,512 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.