Salt and Pepper Calamari is a very popular Australian dish.  Yummy! 
Generally eaten as Finger Foods or addition to evening meal, Calamari is best served hot and freshly cooked.

Once you have sliced squid tubes, work quickly with batter and cooking.  Calamari does not need to be cooked very long 1-2 minutes.  It is essential that the oil is hot to avoid the squid becoming stringy or rubbery.  This makes eating much easier.

Serve in small portions with lemon and creamy homemade mayonnaise.

Salt and Pepper Calamari  Serves 3-4 people

INGREDIENTS

500grms Squid Tubes cut 1/2 cm thick

100grams Plain Flour

Bread Crumbs

Pepper Mill with Whole Pepper and Salt

Deep Fryer

Oil (Good quality vegetable oil)

Make a batter with flour and water until as thick as a pancake batter, season with Salt and Pepper.

Have a bowl ready with breadcrumbs. 

Mix Squid tubes in batter and coat well,  when fully coated remove small quantities and place in breadcrumbs.  Cover well and place to the side.  Continue until all squid is coated.

Heat deep fryer to 180 degrees Celsius

Shake excess breadcrumbs from squid and fry till golden, it is recommended to cook smaller quantities so the heat stays consistent.  Calamari only takes a short time to cook, over cooking will leave your Calamari tough and stringy.

Drain well and place on paper towels.

Season cooked Calamari with salt and fresh ground pepper.  Serve with Fresh Mayo and Lemon Wedges.

TOP TIPS

Don't cut too thick, as it will become rubbery when cooking

Buy fresh squid over frozen squid when learning this recipe, as the end quality will be better

Try cooking in small batches to ensure the heat and cooking time is correct

When eating, the calamari should break apart between your teeth.  If the squid is hard to chew or break apart, cook for a shorter period of time.  If the calarami darkens too quickly, turn heat down to 180C.