Now that Clean Monday has passed and the official start of fasting has begun, calamari is at its forte, and not without reason. It is one of the most typical mezes and goes very well with ouzo and tsipouro, which is why many people love it.
Here are some secrets to make your calamari the most crispiest and tastiest.
Proper defrosting and draining but also good flouring
If you are using frozen calamari, they must be thawed well. Clean and wash the calamari, and leave them in a colander to drain their liquids well.
To flour them properly, put them in a nylon bag with some flour, close the bag, and shake them well until they are well-floured inside and out.
Hot oil
The right texture for calamari is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. A secret to achieving this is to fry in hot oil rather than lukewarm.
Also, it is important to put enough oil to cover a batch completely. Put them in the pan one by one so that they don't stick to each other and are fried properly from both sides.
The salt at the end
Pour the salt towards the end of frying, after they have formed their crust and not from the beginning, as is usual.
Frying time
The frying time is important for their final success, which should be approximately 2-3 minutes. If you leave them for longer, they will become hard and elastic like rubber, and you will not be able to chew them easily.
After they are fried, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on absorbent kitchen paper for a few minutes to drain the excess oil.
Should we put lemon or not?
Serve them immediately while they are still warm. Many people are used to putting a little lemon on them, but this softens them on the outside, so it is best to avoid this step.
Unless you want them softer and like the tartness of lemon. In this case, don't put lemon on all the calamari, but let each one be put on each person's plate so they make them as lemony and soft as they want.
Evi Sklatinioti is a columnist for Olive Magazine. Translated by Paul Antonopoulos.
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