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FRIED CALAMARI RECIPE – KALAMARAKIA TIGANITA

June 14, 2020 · Stephanie · 1 Comment

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If we were intimidated by any festival food, it was this one! But our Fried Calamari Recipe – Kalamarakia Tiganita, perfectly mimics the crispy, delicious favorite you get at the Greek festival! via @CookLikeaGreek

If we were intimidated by any festival food, it was this one! But our Fried Calamari Recipe – Kalamarakia Tiganita, perfectly mimics the crispy, delicious favorite you get at the Greek festival!

Fried Calamari Recipe

Fried Calamari Recipe – Kalamararakia Tiganita is a Greek festival food favorite! In Greece, you will find this appetizer on the menu in most taverns, but especially on the islands where the calamari fresh and readily available. This light and crispy seafood dish is very simply coated with seasoned flour, so that the flavor of the calamari is enhanced and not hidden behind a thick batter. It’s then further enhanced with some fresh squeezed lemon juice.  Simple ingredients, excellent flavors!

HOW TO MAKE THIS FRIED CALAMARI RECIPE

  1. Defrost calamari according to package directions.
  2. Rince the calamari bodies and tentacles in cold water. Cut the calamari bodies into 1/2 inch tubes.
  3. Dry them off well by laying flat on paper towels and dabbing with additional paper towels.
  4. Mix the flour, salt, ground pepper and dried parsley in a shallow baking dish.
  5. Dredge the calamari in batches making sure to coat well with the flour mixture. (Note, you may need to work the flour into the inside of the tubes.)
  6. Add 2-3 inches of extra virgin olive oil to a deep frying pan. Heat the oil until it reaches a temperature of 375° F. (Note we use a cooking thermometer for liquids to measure the temperature of the oil.)
  7. Shake off any excess flour from the calamari and then add the calamari in small batches to the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the frying pan with the calamari. Overcrowding the pan will reduce the cooking temperature of the olive oil and it will take longer for the calamari to cook which could result in soggy calamari. Fry each batch for 2-3 minutes or until golden in color. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked calamari to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with additional sea salt, pepper and dried parsley.

HOW DO I MAKE SURE MY CALAMARI DOES NOT COME OUT TOO CHEWY?

It is easy to overcook calamari. It’s important to make sure the oil you are frying the calamari in is hot at 375° F, so that it cooks quickly. Cooking in larger batches will otherwise quickly reduce the temperature of the oil, which is why it’s recommended that the calamari is cooked in smaller batches for 2-3 minutes.

I HAVE EASY ACCESS TO FRESH CALAMARI AND PREFER TO USE FRESH OVER FROZEN.

A couple of recommendations on buying fresh calamari. First, look to purchase smaller calamari as the smaller ones are more tender. Second, when purchasing uncleaned calamari, you will want to purchase about 1/3 more in weight (e.g. if you need 1 pound for your recipe, purchase 1 1/3 pound) because you will end up discarding a portion of the calamari after it has been cleaned.

 

 

Fried Calamari Recipe

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5 from 1 vote

Fried Calamari Recipe - Kalamarakia Tiganita

Cuisine Greek
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes minutes
Servings 6
Calories 71kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb calamari
  • 1 cup flour, for dredging
  • Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley
  • Extra virgin olive oil, for frying

Instructions

  • Defrost calamari according to package directions. (Note that we purchase our calamari in the frozen seafood section of the supermarket because it is not always easily available fresh. The benefit is that the calamari is already cleaned.)
  • Rinse the calamari bodies and tentacles in cold water. Cut the calamari bodies into 1/2 inch tubes. Dry them off well by laying flat on paper towels and dabbing with additional paper towels.
  • Mix the flour, salt, ground pepper and dried parsley in a shallow baking dish. Dredge the calamari in batches making sure to coat well with the flour mixture. (Note, you may need to work the flour into the inside of the tubes.)
  • Add 2-3 inches of extra virgin olive oil to a deep frying pan. Heat the oil until it reaches a temperature of 375° F. (Note we use a cooking thermometer for liquids to measure the temperature of the oil.) Shake off any excess flour from the calamari and then add the calamari in small batches to the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the frying pan with the calamari. Overcrowding the pan will reduce the cooking temperature of the olive oil and it will take longer for the calamari to cook which could result in soggy calamari.
  • Fry each batch for 3-4 minutes until golden in color. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked calamari to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with additional sea salt, pepper and dried parsley.
  • Transfer calamari to a serving plate and garnish with lemon wedges.

Nutrition

Calories: 71kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 176mg | Sodium: 35mg | Potassium: 195mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition Facts
Fried Calamari Recipe - Kalamarakia Tiganita
Amount Per Serving
Calories 71 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 176mg59%
Sodium 35mg2%
Potassium 195mg6%
Carbohydrates 2g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 12g24%
Vitamin A 25IU1%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 28mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition Facts
Fried Calamari Recipe - Kalamarakia Tiganita
Amount Per Serving
Calories 71 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 176mg59%
Sodium 35mg2%
Potassium 195mg6%
Carbohydrates 2g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 12g24%
Vitamin A 25IU1%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 28mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Comments

  1. Anne says

    October 3, 2020 at 9:43 pm

    5 stars
    Looks delicious!

    Reply

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Hi and WELCOME to Cook Like a Greek! We’re Lizz and Stephanie, a mother-daughter team living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Living under the same roof again, after many years apart, we noticed how much we enjoyed being in the kitchen and cooking together. It has brought us even closer, and we saw it as an opportunity to create and share traditional Greek family recipes with our family and friends.

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