Calamari with Lemon-Basil Sauce

Tender calamari coated and fried until golden. Served with a lemon basil dipping sauce.

Course Easy Appetizer Recipes, Main Dishes

Cuisine American

Keyword basil, calamari, Food, fried, lemon juice, Recipe, squid

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings Servings

Ingredients

Ingredients:

1/2 pound calamari rings thawed if frozen (If you buy it frozen it will usually be cut into rings for you, which is what I prefer)
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Canola oil for frying
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried basil you can also use fresh basil, it would be about 2 teaspoons
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic.

Instructions

Pat the calamari rings dry with a paper towel.
In a bowl whisk together egg and milk to make an egg wash.
In a large plastic resealable bag combine flour, salt, pepper, granulated garlic and cornstarch and shake to combine.
Dip the calamari rings into the egg and then put them in the bag with the flour. Shake bag to lightly coat calamari.
In a large sauce pan add oil until you have about 2 inches. Heat over medium heat until oil is hot. (Note: I don't have a thermometer to check the temperature of the oil so when I think its hot I just sprinkle in a little flour and if it sizzles I start frying.) Once the oil is hot, remove the calamari from the bag and shake off any excess flour. Cook calamari in batches until golden brown, about 3 minutes. It is very important not to overcook calamari or it will become rubbery. Remove from the oil, lay on a paper bag and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Serve hot.
To make the sauce combine mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, basil and garlic and mix well.

Notes

A Note: When I first tried to make calamari at home, mine did not get as golden brown as I would like because I was afraid of over cooking it so I cooked it only about 2 minutes at medium-high. I have found that if I cook it at a lower heat for a little longer, 3 minutes or so, it gets golden brown and is still tender on the inside.
So there it is, calamari, perhaps my favorite appetizer ever. Give it a try if you haven't and I'm sure you'll like it. Hey it's fried, everything is good fried right? :) Enjoy!