Author Notes
We love fried calamari as an appetizer, but why not make it dinner? I added a little ground fennel to the breading and served it over a lemony fennel salad for a wonderful supper. —inpatskitchen
Ingredients
- Prep the salad first
-
2
medium fennel bulbs, cleaned and cored (save the fronds)
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2
thin slices red onion
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3 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil
-
2 tablespoons
lemon juice
-
1/2 teaspoon
salt
-
1/2 teaspoon
black pepper
- For the calamari and putting it all together
-
3/4 pound
cleaned squid tubes and tentacles (or just tubes if you like)
-
2/3 cup
all purpose flour
-
1/3 cup
white rice flour
-
1 teaspoon
salt
-
1/2 teaspoon
black pepper
-
1 teaspoon
finely ground fennel seed
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Enough vegetable or peanut oil to fill a frying pan about 1 inch
-
1 lemon
-
The previously made fennel salad
-
1 tablespoon
capers
-
A few grape or cherry tomatoes
-
Lemon wedges for garnish
-
A few fennel fronds for garnish
Directions
- Prep the salad first
-
Cut the fennel bulbs in half and then slice them thinly (I use a mandoline for this). Cut the 2 slices of red onion into pieces about an inch or two long. Place in a mixing bowl.
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Whisk the oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper together, add it to the fennel and onion and toss everything thoroughly. Refrigerate while you make the calamari.
- For the calamari and putting it all together
-
Heat the oil in a large frying pan until it reaches between 350 and 360 degrees. Cut the squid tubes crosswise into 1/3 to 1/2 inch rings.
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Whisk the 2 flours, salt, pepper and ground fennel together and place into a plastic or small paper bag. Add the squid and shake, shake, shake until well coated. Pour the mixture into a colander and shake over the sink to rid yourself of the excess coating.
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Now fry the squid, in batches if necessary (don't over crowd the pieces) for 3 to 4 minutes until they lightly brown. As they finish use a slotted spoon or spider to remove and place on paper toweling. Keep the first batch warm in a 300F oven while you do the next batch.
-
Once the squid is done, divide the fennel salad and place on 2 dinner plates. Take the squid out of the oven and sprinkle it with the juice of the lemon. Place half of the squid over each salad.
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Sprinkle the capers and a few fennel fronds over each salad and garnish with the tomatoes and lemon wedges. Eat and enjoy!
I think I get my love for food and cooking from my mom, who was an amazing cook. She would start baking and freezing a month before Christmas in order to host our huge open house on Christmas afternoon. I watched and I learned...to this day I try not to procrastinate when it comes to entertaining.
My cooking style is pretty much all over the place, although I'm definitely partial to Greek and Italian cuisine. Oh yes, throw a little Cajun in there too!
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