If I see fried calamari on a menu, it’s hard to pass it up. A few years ago, Ryan and I took a trip to Sicily and I was surprised to see fried calamari served as a street food. The vendors would fry it and serve it in paper cones, and we would eat it while we walked around sight-seeing. I like using cracker meal to fry seafood in general, and it doesn’t disappoint for calamari.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 15 min |
| Active: | 10 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1 pound calamari, cut into rings
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 1/2 cups cracker meal
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk the milk and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Add the calamari and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- In a large heavy bottom pan or Dutch oven, heat 2 inches of oil over medium heat to 375 degrees F.
- Add the cracker meal to a shallow dish and season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using a slotted spoon, and working in batches, transfer the calamari to the cracker meal and toss to coat. Use a fork or tongs to transfer into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Season with a sprinkle of salt and a squeeze of lemon. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 296 |
| Total Fat | 22 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Protein | 13 g |
| Cholesterol | 178 mg |
| Sodium | 295 mg |
Reviews
Sorry Katie I just made this with the milk then cracker meal and the coating all came off in the fryer Hmm did I do something wrong?
All the hosts on the show were tripping out on how good the milk and cracker meal crust was. Our family agrees! Crunchier then breadcrumbs, less assertive than panko, takes on the perfect golden brown color. And simple! Used milk instead of egg for the flour+egg+cracker-meal breading. Rachel Rays mushy peas with mint was the perfect side with this.