I had the pleasure of spending Thanksgiving with my husband's family in Monterey, Calif. On one particular lazy afternoon, after a whirlwind tour of the Monterey Aquarium, I found myself relaxing along Monterey Bay's picturesque waterfront.
A soft, chilly breeze drifted in from the water whisking in the distant echoes of a family of barking sea lions sunning themselves on a nearby jetty. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, a courteous, black-and-white clad server lit a nearby fire pit, handed me a glass of fumé blanc, and placed out a platter of locally caught fried calamari.
Life is good here.
Calamari, which is Italian for squid, is a generic term to describe this popular mollusk. Made up of a body, tentacles and an inky fluid that is released when it senses danger, calamari, much like its cousin, the octopus, can be prepared in a variety of ways.
Nearly all of the squid's body is edible, including the tentacles. The meat is mild and firm, which makes it an excellent choice for a variety of preparations, including sautéing, braising, grilling and baking, with its most common incarnation being fried.
For traditional calamari, the squid is first cleaned, sliced into rings, battered or dredged in flour and then fried in oil. It is often served with some sort of dipping sauce or simply squeezed with a little fresh lemon.
Those of us who consider ourselves to be calamari junkies are known to judge a restaurant's cooking prowess based on its fried calamari alone. I've sat on many a barstool, examining and re-examining the subtle differences between calamari preparations. From cornmeal-dusted to tossed in rice flour, I've tried them all. Many have hit the mark, while others have simply left me with greasy fingers and a few extra hundred calories.
Yet, we lovers of calamari are bound neither to barstools nor long flights to Monterey. We can make this specialty at home. If you can fry a piece of fish, you can make some pretty darn tasty calamari.
Visit your local fishmonger to get fresh calamari. If they don't have fresh, whole frozen calamari - which is usually already cleaned - will do. If you're working with frozen calamari, be sure to defrost it in the fridge overnight and avoid microwaving it, which can partially cook the meat.
To clean, hold the body of the squid firmly and gently pull the head away from the body. Cut the tentacles from the head just below the eyes and remove the beak (it's very small). At the top of the body is a piece of thin cartilage. Be sure to remove this and discard. Run the squid under fresh water to clean. Then pat dry, inside and out. Slice into rings and you're ready to bread and fry. Note: You can have your fishmonger do all of these steps ahead of time, if you like.
For dipping sauces, a simple marinara is always nice, as is a bowl of homemade tartar sauce. To go a little Greek, serve your calamari with a side of tzatziki (a Greek yogurt and garlic dip) or whip up a flavored aioli (a fancy word for mayonnaise) in the blender.
When frying, make sure your oil is hot enough - about 350 degrees - and avoid overcrowding the calamari, which can cause it to lose its crispness. Also, it's important to note that calamari is delicate and cooks quickly, so watch it carefully.
So, the next time you're debating on where to get a platter of fresh-fried calamari, pull up a barstool in your own kitchen because oftentimes the best cooking is yours.
Kendra Bailey Morris is a Richmond-based food writer, culinary instructor and author of "White Trash Gatherings: From-Scratch Cooking for Down-Home Entertaining" (Ten Speed Press). Send ideas, tips or culinary questions to info@theaccidentalchef.net or visit www.theaccidentalchef.net.
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