Claire fries up a light and crisp calamari served with pickled jalapeno sauce. Don’t forget to toast your team with Claire’s custom, red hot shot.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
BYOC: Don’t love the heat? Try substituting your favorite pickled item for the jalapenos.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup drained and chopped pickled jalapenos, reserving liquid
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 pound cleaned squid, preferably small
- 6 to 7 cups vegetable oil
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Method
- Whisk together the chopped jalapenos, mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon of reserved liquid. Season with salt and set aside.
- Rinse squid under cold running water and lightly pat dry, leaving it slightly damp. Leave tentacles whole and cut bodies crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide rings, then reserve separately.
- Heat oil in a heavy pot over high heat until it registers 375°F on thermometer.
- Place panko in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Dredge a small handful of squid rings in panko, tossing to coat well. Shaking off excess and with a slotted spoon add rings to oil and using spoon separate and cook until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, transfer ring to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with jalapeno mayonnaise for dipping.