Oven Fried Calamari

Fried Calamari is getting a healthier reboot. Bursting with flavor and crunch this oven fried version is even more delicious!

Fried, baked, or tossed in a salad, calamari is a staple of Italian cuisine - and to an extent the entire Mediterranean.  And for good reason.  It's delicious!  Fried and Baked calamari, however, is probably the most recognizable "Calamari," being a staple of Italian restaurants and pizzerias everywhere from coast to coast - usually paired with a spicy marinara.

Crisp, pleasantly firm, with a flavor that's mild-yet-sweet with a just a hint of 'saltwater brine,' calamari is crowd pleaser like few others.  However, getting your calamari 'just right' can be a bit of challenge.  There's a fine line between the 'pleasant firmness,' which is characteristic of squid, and the unfortunate texture of 'rubber.'  

Today, I'll be giving you some key tips for getting yours 'just right.'

In addition, we'll be pairing today's oven fried calamari with a super simple tartar sauce.  While this tartar sauce is great on calamari, it's also delicious with any fried or baked fish - so be sure to keep it on hand.

What exactly is Calamari, anyway?

For starters, 'calamari' comes from both the Italian and Spanish word for 'squid.'  Squid being 'Calamar' in Spanish, and 'Calamaro' in Italian.  So, there you have it.  Calamari is squid.

As seafood, squid is firm, white bodied, and only mildly flavorful.  In terms of taste, squid is described by most as 'sweet,' though I've personally never found this to be the case. 

Being so mild in terms of taste, squid is an excellent 'carrier' or 'background' for other flavors, much like other flavor-neutral proteins, such as tofu.  For example, one of my favorite squid recipes is my Shrimp and Squid Salad, which I prepare with things like parsley and fresh lemon.  However, my love for that salad has less to do with the squid itself, and more with how the squid acts as delightful backdrop for the medley of fresh flavors I've tossed it with.

The same is true of fried squid.  You really 'taste the fry' as the saying goes - again, similar to fried tofu, where the tofu acts as a flavor neutral carrier for the batter itself.  Yes, this likely the only time you'll ever hear squid being compared to tofu.

The one big difference in using squid, however, is its firm texture.  This firm texture helps accentuate the delightful 'snap' of a crisp batter, while its mild flavor plays up all of the 'fry notes' of a delicious batter.  Those same 'fry notes' mean that a variety of sauces and dips complement this recipe deliciously.  Spicy marinara sauces, relishes, tartar sauces, and sweet and spicy dipping sauces all play beautifully with this recipe.

Ingredient Checklist for the Batter

• Squid.  I prefer to buy whole squid, and then slice it myself, which is what I did for this recipe.  This allows me to control the thickness of the slice - which is actually quite important, as I'll touch on below.  It also ensures added freshness, 'and' ensures I get the tentacles.  Most people don't like the tentacles, but since I grew up eating them, I can't imagine calamari without them.
• Whole Milk.  I do strongly recommend using whole fat milk for this recipe.
• Salt.  Standard table salt is all you need for this recipe.
• Black Pepper.  Feel free to use pre-ground or cracked black pepper for this part of this recipe.  Though I do suggest using freshly ground black pepper for the tartar sauce, which I'll explain below.

• Breadcrumbs.  I'm using Italian Style breadcrumbs, but it's super easy to make your own - which I often do.  Here's how.  Simply mix about a quarter teaspoon of black pepper, half a teaspoon salt, and a pinch each of red pepper flakes and dried oregano per half-cup of plain breadcrumbs.  You can also add in dried basil and dried parsley (about a quarter teaspoon of each), if you happen to have these ingredients on hand.
• Potato Flakes.  This adds crispness to the batter.  You can achieve roughly the same effect using cornstarch - about a quarter to a half-teaspoon.  This not only helps bind the batter to the squid, but also ensures the squid fries up crisp.
• Oil.  As noted in the recipe card, this is simply for drizzling.  Feel free to use the cooking oil of your choice, though I personally used my all-purpose olive oil.

Ingredient Checklist for the Tartar Sauce

• Mayo.  Plain, whole-fat mayo is what you're looking for.
• Relish.  Plain relish, nothing fancy needed.
• Lemon Juice.  As in all cases fresher is better.  However, since the lemon juice is not being cooked, and isn't being combined with that many ingredients, this is one case where I'll say using fresh makes a huge difference.
• Black Pepper.  I would strongly suggest using fresh ground black pepper.  If you really want to get fancy, consider grinding the pepper in a mortar and pestle for added aroma and pungency.

Tips for Making the Best Oven Fried Calamari

• Thick Sliced.  I cut my squid between three-quarters to one inch in thickness.  Leave the tentacles whole - as pictured.  This helps ensure the calamari remains as tender as possible through baking.  Remember, squid is already firm to begin with, so you want to 'add' as little firmness as possible during the cooking process.
• High and Fast.  Here again, cooking high and fast will help ensure maximal tenderness.  This means cooking the calamari at a fairly high heat for a fairly short amount of time - just ten minutes per side, at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Flip Them.  No, you can't just cook them for twenty-minutes straight.  You need to turn the calamari pieces mid-way through.
• Serve Immediately.  Once the calamari is done cooking, serve it immediately.  The reason being…
• They do NOT Keep Well.  Calamari is at its best when its fresh from the oven (or frier).  The reason being, they 'really' do not keep well at all.  As in, you want to eat fried (or oven fried) calamari the instant it's been cooked.  The exception here is calamari salad.  For salads, calamari is boiled, and then tossed with things like lemon juice and olive oil.  Calamari salad keeps for about a day or two in the fridge - but not much longer than that.  As a nice bonus, this is a really good excuse to leave absolutely no leftovers.

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And that's our recipe for Oven Fried Calamari. If you enjoyed today's recipe, or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below. We always love hearing from you. Happy Cooking!

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