Mexican Fried Calamari

The pickled rings of jalapeno in the fridge brought rings of calamari to mind yesterday – hmmm, how about some fried calamari with a Mexican twist? A new bag of  Masa Harina from the supermarket brought my inspiration to reality and WOW – these are great! For the uninitiated, Masa Harina is a very finely ground corn flour, made from corn treated in a mineral lime and water bath. It is readily available in supermarkets now and really makes a great crispy breading.  That, along with a tangy, spicy sauce, turned the bland rings of calamari into something  special.

Calamari is sold frozen, often in one pound packages, and is also available fresh in many places. To make this a super-quick and easy recipe buy them already cleaned. An assortment of the ‘bodies’ and tentacles is nice and expect 1/4 pound to feed two for an appetizer, or for one as a meal. This recipe is enough for 1/2 pound of the squid.

Ingredients for Mexican Fried Calamari:

• Cooking oil for frying calamari – twice the depth of a single layer in a high-sided, heavy pot
• 1/2 pound cleaned calamari, thawed if purchased frozen
• 1/2 cup Masa Harina (Mexican corn flour)
• 1 teaspoon hot Mexican chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapenos, cut in half
• 1/3 cup olive oil for sauce
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, about juice from 1/2 large
• Salt for sprinkling on the calamari after they are fried
• Wedges of lime for garnish

Directions:

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil, minced garlic, sliced jalapeño and lime juice to a simmer.  Cook for a few minutes on low so the flavors can extract and blend. Set aside, this is the sauce that will be served with the fried calamari.

Pre-heat the cooking oil to 375°.  I use my flat-bottomed wok for frying, since it heats quickly, conserves oil and lets foods float freely. Whatever you use, make sure it is heavy, suitable for deep frying  and high enough to avoid spattering and frothing over!

Cut the calamari across the width into thin rings. Pat dry with paper toweling.

Combine the masa harina, chili powder, salt and pepper and dredge the rings in the mixture. Shake off any excess flour – I use the ‘spider’ that I use for removing fried foods from the oil for this, but tossing lightly back and forth in your hands works well too.

Place the breaded calamari in the heated oil, avoiding crowding. This may mean you’ll need to fry in 2 or so batches,  but it goes quickly. Fry the calamari until just crispy, which will only take three to four minutes at most. Avoid overcooking so they do not toughen.

Drain on paper towels or a brown bag and sprinkle with kosher salt while still hot from frying.

Serve the fried calamari on top of a pool of the jalapeno sauce, add wedges of lime for squirting on top and enjoy this appetizer!