Kalamarakia Tiganita, a better known as Calamari, is a classic Greek meze. Crispy calamari are so perfect in this salad. A flavorful sauce complements the calamari and fresh salad greens.
- Calamari means squid in Italian, calamari is a culinary term for squid meat, just as “pork” and “beef” refer to pig and cow meat, respectively.
- Calamari is unlike any other seafood, with thin, tough flesh, that can be transformed into tender meat if cooked well.
- The world’s oldest cuisines have long established techniques for getting the most of the animal; China and Italy have been frying, it up for centuries, but in Greece they stuff the entire squid cavity with rice and herbs, while Japan has countless raw and cooked calamari preparations.
- Mezze is a type of small dishes of savory snacks that are served as a compliment to drinks. They can be warm or cold, and they can include vegetables, cheeses, dips, seafood, rusks, pita bread and many more (basically you can make anything a meze as long as you can serve it in the size of a bite).
Let’s fry some Calamari and prepare this delicious salad…
Crispy Calamari Salad
Cook ’em, grill ’em, fry ’em, throw them in a pan with some oil and spices, and you’ve got yourself an amazing dinner. For passionate seafood lovers, they are a true delicacy, for others – an ooey-gooey mystery dish that they are not really keen on. In any case, this fried calamari salad will be like by everybody, that I am sure of.
What you'll need...
Fry Coating
Salad Dressing/ Dipping Sauce
Salad
What you'll need to do...
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Prep the calamari
In a large mixing bowl, combine sparkling water, lemon juice, baking soda, sugar and salt.
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Prep the calamari
Add Calamari. Place in refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.
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Dressing/Dip
To a food processor bowl add day old bread crumbs and pulse if making your own crumbs.
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Dressing/Dip
Add in almonds and pulse them to crumble.
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Next add panko if using, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, yogurt, and mayonnaise.
Mix until incorporated. Season with salt, to taste. Place in a covered bowl or jar in refrigerator.
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After 2 hours, take the calamari out of the refrigerator and drain well in a colander but do not rinse nor dry, just give the colander a good shake to remove excess moisture.
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Salad
Divide salad greens between 4 plates or bowls. Top with shallots, tomatoes and cucumbers and set aside.
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Calamari Frying
Combine flour, cornmeal, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
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Calamari Frying
Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot to 340˚
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Place a double layer of paper towel on a plate to drain excess oil as Calamari is finished cooking.
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Calamari Frying
Add calamari rings, a few at a time to the flour mixture. Toss gently to coat. Shake off excess coating and test oil temperature by placing a corner of one ring into oil. If it sizzles, it is hot enough and you can add a few rings at a time to the hot oil. Do not over crowd oil or it will cool down too much and make your calamari greasy instead of crispy. Cook 1 – 3 minutes or until just lightly golden. Do not over cook.
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Remove cooked piece to paper towel lined plate. Repeat until all calamari has been cooked.
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Add dressing to salads and top with cooked calamari.
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Season with salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Enjoy!