Crispy calamari sprinkled with lemon is a simple summer treat.
ingredients
directions
To clean the squid, hold it in one hand and gently pull away the tentacles. Cut the head off just below the eyes and discard it. Remove the little beak inside the tentacles. Remove the long cartilage from the squid body. Clean the squid body under cold running water, pulling out any matter that remains inside. Wash and peel away the grayish skin from the body and the tentacles and discard. Cut the squid body in ½ inch rings. Dry the squid well with paper towels.
Fill a heavy, medium-size saucepan halfway with oil and place over high heat. Place a handful or two of squid into a sieve and sprinkle liberally with flour. Mix the flour with the squid to coat well, then shake the sieve to remove excess flour, letting it fall onto a plate or piece of aluminum foil.
When the oil is very hot and is just beginning to smoke, lower the squid carefully into the hot oil, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry the squid until it has a nice golden color, less than 1 minute, than remove it with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. When all the squid has been fried, season it with salt and chile pepper, and serve piping hot.