Calamari Fritti With Creamy Ponzu Dipping Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Rinse the squid under cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the body of the squid into 1/2-inch rings and trim the tentacles as necessary. Combine the milk, egg, and basil leaves in a bowl; mix with a fork until lightly beaten. Put the prepared calamari in the milk mixture and stick it in the refrigerator while getting everything else set up; it fries better if marinated and chilled for about 15 minutes.
• Pour about 2 inches of oil in a fryer or large, heavy pot and heat to 375 degrees F. Mix the flour and paprika in a pie dish or plate; season with a fair amount of salt and pepper. Toss the calamari in the seasoned flour to coat. Fry for 1 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and salt, to taste. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried calamari to paper towels to drain. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and dipping sauces.
• Smoked Jalapeno Aioli:
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 to 2 canned chipotle chile in adobo
• 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Pinch salt
• Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend for 1 minute to combine. Set aside to allow the flavors to marry. Serve as a dipping sauce with fried calamari.
• Yield: 1 cup
• Tomato-Basil Sauce:
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 fresh basil leaves, hand-torn
• 1 (16-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• Pinch sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Coat a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of the oil and warm over medium heat. Add the garlic and basil; cook, stirring, until soft. Add the crushed tomatoes and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the remaining olive oil. Serve as a dipping sauce with fried calamari.
• Yield: 2 cups

Steps:

• Whisk together the chopped jalapenos, mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon of reserved pickling liquid. Season with salt and set aside.
• Rinse the calamari under cold running water and lightly pat dry, leaving it slightly damp. Leave the tentacles whole and cut the bodies crosswise into 1/4-inch wide rings.
• Heat the oil in a heavy pot over high heat until it registers 375 degrees F on a thermometer.
• Place the panko in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Dredge a small handful of the squid rings in the panko, tossing to coat well. Shake off any excess and, with a slotted spoon, add the rings to the oil, using the spoon to separate the rings. Cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, transfer the rings to paper towels to drain. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve with the pickled jalapeno dipping sauce.
• BYOC: Don't love the heat? Try substituting your favorite pickled item for the jalapenos.

Steps:

• For dipping sauce:
• Combine all ingredients except mayonnaise in processor. Blend well. Transfer to bowl. Stir in mayonnaise. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Whisk before serving.)
• For calamari:
• Pour oil to depth of 3 inches in heavy large pot. Heat to 350°F. Whisk next 4 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Pour buttermilk into another large bowl. Add calamari to buttermilk. Working in batches, remove calamari; dredge in flour mixture. Fry until just crisp, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Serve warm with sauce.
• *Available in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets.
• **A blend of ground anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and ginger available in the spice section of most supermarkets.