It’s Time to Try (and Enjoy) Calamari

Calamari fritti invariably vanishes quickly when served as a restaurant appetizer. No wonder: a crisp fried crust coating a tasty, satisfyingly chewy ring of squidly goodness is an irresistible flavor-texture combo.

Yet few have the courage to make this calamari recipe at home. Imagine if we never cooked a potato despite devouring commercial potato chips? This is the seafood equivalent.

Trust us, calamari is not scary, especially if you use one of the simple calamari recipes below. It retains its flavor while frozen and can be eaten grilled, seared, braised, and baked as well as battered and air- or deep-fried, as in the fritti we know and love.

To settle one dinner table debate, although some assert that calamari is not squid, the restaurant offering is indeed a squid. The word “calamari” entered English from 17th-century Italian, a plural of a medieval word meaning ink pot. Calamari is also the Italian word for squid. Since squid squirt ink, it all makes sense. Right?

But don’t confuse squid with octopus, however. Octopi are a different sea creature, and are richer and denser.

Is squid sustainable?

Vital Choice squid is the northern shortfin variety, which are found swimming in Atlantic waters from Maine to Virginia. It is harvested using an “otter trawl,” which may significantly reduce the unintended capture of other species.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the responsible government agency, U.S. wild-caught shortfin squid “is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.” In other words, it is not over-fished.

Indeed, there is even evidence that cephalopods (squid, octopus, cuttlefish), which are particularly adaptable, have been booming in response to shifting ocean temperatures and currents due to climate change.

They are a mollusk — the family that in addition to cephalopods includes mussels, clams, oysters, and scallops — not a crustacean, like the crab/lobster group. They eat crustaceans, fish — and, alas, squid, including their own species.

Is squid smart and does it feel pain?

Pescaterians regularly get informed of the case that octopus is too smart to eat, and squid are sometimes lumped into the argument. It’s tricky. There is indeed evidence that squids learn and have nerve cells linked to pain, but they don’t seem to seek or value pain-relievers when injured, as octopi do.

And they’re cannibals, which (winging it here!) suggests a lack of what we call empathy. Keep in mind that the squid we eat are small creatures with short lives, not the deep-ocean giants.

Is squid good for you?

Squid is an excellent source of selenium, riboflavin, and vitamin B12. It does contain cholesterol, but that doesn’t mean it will hurt your lipid profile.

How can I use squid?

You can’t really go wrong, unless you overcook. Squid needs to be cooked slow over low heat or fast over high.

If you go for the fast approach, on your first venture, you might try a small batch to get the hang of it, and then cook the rest. The basic recipe (see below) for calamari fritti is simple. Don’t cook more than two minutes. You don’t need a special deep fryer, and your calamari can still be light and crispy. Air-fryers work, too. Some people soak the squid in milk or buttermilk for up to an hour in a refrigerator to help a coating stick.

The fried style can be gluten-free and keto if you use coconut flour.

You can make any number of sauces for dipping fried calamari. In an Italian restaurant it always comes with a marinara sauce, either sweet or spicy. The classic red cocktail sauce is a mix of ketchup, horseradish, Worcestershire, and hot sauce.

But I don’t eat fried food

Squid can carry lots of flavor, making crispness unecessary. It’s sauteed in this recipe with lime, chiles, and mint. Similarly, in a Venetian recipe served over polenta, the squid is fragrant with lemon zest, garlic, marjoram, mint, parsley, and white wine.

A cold squid salad might include fennel, sun-dried tomato, olives, and red onion. Cooks preparing a complicated Christmas Feast of Seven Fishes like to make this salad in advance, as it can improve with a day in the refrigerator.

How do I thaw it? 

Keep it in the refrigerator overnight, run it under cold water, or put it in an ice water bath.

Once you get past your fear of overcooking, those rings of firm, sweet lean protein will become a go-to, rather than odd. Some new cooks are afraid of cooking pasta for similar reasons. They pass through the gates of fear, and enter the great shining pasta kingdom. Speaking of which, you can cook squid in a marinara sauce for about 20 minutes and serve it over pasta. You’ll be in squid heaven with this calamari recipe.

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