Description
A delicious and easy recipe for crispy fried calamari rings served with a flavorful spicy marinara sauce, perfect as an appetizer or light main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Calamari and Coating
- 0.5 pound calamari tubes, sliced into rings
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 0.125 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 3 cups canola oil
Spicy Marinara Sauce
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 0.5 teaspoon dried parsley
- 0.5 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 0.25 teaspoon kosher salt
- 0.25 teaspoon dried basil
- 0.25 teaspoon dried oregano
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
- 0.125 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 0.5 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Marinate Calamari: Place the sliced calamari tubes into a bowl of milk and let them marinate while you prepare the marinara sauce and coating mixture.
- Prepare Marinara Sauce: Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes until slightly golden and fragrant. Stir in the crushed tomatoes along with dried parsley, red chili flakes, kosher salt, dried basil, dried oregano, black pepper, and granulated sugar. Cover and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Heat Oil for Frying: In a deep frying pan, heat canola oil over medium-high heat until hot enough for frying (around 350°F or 175°C).
- Prepare Coating Mixture: In a shallow bowl, combine the all purpose flour with kosher salt and black pepper. In a separate small bowl, mix grated Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parsley, and red chili flakes. Set aside.
- Coat and Fry Calamari: Remove calamari from the milk but do not dry them. Toss them into the seasoned flour mixture until evenly coated. Fry the coated calamari rings in batches in the hot canola oil for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Toss with Cheese Mixture: While still warm, toss the fried calamari rings in the Parmesan, parsley, and red chili flake mixture to coat thoroughly.
- Serve: Serve the crispy fried calamari immediately with the spicy marinara sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes
- Do not dry the calamari after marinating in milk; the milk helps the coating stick better.
- Use fresh parsley for the best flavor in both coating and sauce, but dried parsley can be substituted.
- Maintain the oil temperature between 350°F to 375°F when frying to ensure calamari stays crispy and does not become greasy.
- You can adjust the red chili flakes amount to control the spiciness of both the calamari coating and the marinara sauce.
- Let the marinara sauce simmer covered to meld flavors and prevent splattering.
- Serve immediately after frying for the best texture and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 26 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 195 mg
