I always order calamari when I’m out as long as it’s fresh. My favourite bits are the tentacles. It has to be a really crispy batter and have a good amount of seasoning. They key is for the oil to be smoking and to literally cook it for a max of 2 minutes. These were crispy, tasty and as it was a sunny day perfect with a cold beer!

Ingredients

For the Squid

• 1 prepared squid
• 1 carton buttermilk (284ml)
• 500ml of oil, I used rapeseed

For the Batter

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/4 cup polenta
• 1/2 tbsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• Pinch of onion salt (optional)

Directions

For the Squid

1. Prepare the squid by giving it wash. Separate the tentacles and wings from the main body.
2. Cut the main body into rings about 1cm thick. Cut the tentacles in half. Score the wings in a criss cross pattern making sure you don’t cut all the way through.
3. Put the prepared squid in the buttermilk and refrigerate for 2 hours.

For the Batter

1. Put all of the ingredients in a zip lock bag and give it a good shake.

For the Cooking

1. Heat the oil in a wok or deep pan until smoking.
2. Add the squid in batches to the ziplock bag with the dry batter mix, give it a good shake so the squid pieces are covered. Shake off any excess flour mix and place in the hot oil. Cook for a couple of minutes until golden. Repeat the process with the rest of the squid. Serve and Enjoy 😊