Easy weeknight dinners: fried calamari salad

Easy weeknight dinners: fried calamari salad

Posted on April 21st, 2009 by Jessica Alfreds

For some reason home cooks are afraid of squid. My best guess is because squid has the reputation of being very difficult to work with and easy to screw up. I disagree. Here is a super easy weeknight recipe for a delicious, healthy-ish version of fried calamari.

Fried Calamari Salad- Serves 2

Ingredients: 3 squid bodies (I prefer not to use the tentacles for this recipe but you certainly could if you choose to!), 2 large handfuls of mixed salad greens, two lemons, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tsp dijon mustard, salt and pepper, a few pinches of cayenne pepper, 1 carrot, 1 cup of all purpose flour, one ripe pear, canola oil for frying.

Fill a skillet with 2 inches of canola oil and heat to about 375 degrees. Meanwhile, slice your squid bodies horizontally into little rings. Season your rings with salt, pepper, and a dash of cayenne pepper and then dip them in flour. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the juice of 2 lemons with a little salt and pepper and 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard. Then slowly add 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Whisk well so you get a nice emulsified vinaigrette. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.

In a salad bowl combine your salad greens (seasoned just a little bit with salt and pepper), one diced or shredded carrot, and one diced pear (I prefer to remove the skin but that’s entirely up to you).

Shake excess flour from your calamari and add to the hot oil very carefully. Do not overcrowd your skillet-if you need to, cook the squid in two batches. Move them around as they fry and only fry for TWO MINUTES. Remove from the oil and drain well on paper towels. Season again with salt, pepper, and a dash of cayenne.

Toss your salad with the lemon vinaigrette then top with the fried calamari. Goes nicely with some fresh, crusty bread. Enjoy!

Easy weeknight dinners is published every Tuesday at noon.

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Jessica Alfreds

Jessica Alfreds is a Chef, Caterer, and Event Planner based in New York City. She is currently working on her first cookbook, teaching herself how to sew, and attempting to live a purposeful life. Jessica is a 3rd generation New Yorker and currently resides in the East Village. Visit jessicaalfreds.com.