Italy · Fish and Seafood Dishes · Quick
Fried Calamari
Italian-style calamari combines tender squid meat with a rich tomato sauce. Perfect for lovers of seafood and Italian cuisine.
18 min 325 kcal 4 serves Medium⚡Quick🇮🇹Italy★★★★★4.6· 5 reviews
Ingredients
ServingsMetric
- 500 gfresh squid
- 2 clovesgarlic
- 1 onion
- 400 gtomatoes in their own juice
- 60 mldry white wine
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 1 tspsugar
- to tastesalt and black pepper
- for garnishingfresh parsley
Method
- Clean the squid, remove the insides and cartilage. Rinse under cold water. Cut the squid into rings.
- Fry the onion until golden, add the garlic. Add tomatoes, wine and sugar. Simmer for 15 minutes on low heat.
- In a separate skillet, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Add the calamari rings and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, until opaque and lightly golden.
- Combine the calamari with the sauce and stir. Serve sprinkled with parsley.
FAQ
Rubbery calamari is the result of incorrect frying time. The rule is: either very fast (1.5–2 minutes at 180–190°C) or very slow (braise for 40–60 minutes). At intermediate times the protein contracts and becomes tough. Fry rings about 1 cm thick for no more than 2 minutes. Do not overcrowd the pan — this lowers the oil temperature.
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Comments (1)
Fresh seafood should smell like the ocean, not like fish. If your fresh squid smells strongly when you buy it for fried calamari, it's past its prime. Your nose is the most reliable freshness test.