I love Thanksgiving as much as the next girl. I know people always talk about, look forward to and consume Thanksgiving leftovers. I'm not much of a leftover lover, but I did my duty and had them for supper last night, again for lunch today but I couldn't go for #3. So, I made CALAMARI.
Have I ever made calamari? Hell no! Have you? I was shocked when I discovered squid in the nearby Food Lion. I had to buy it. They stayed in the freezer for awhile because I was duly intimidated. But you know what? They are so simple to cook, I could teach a chimp to do it. If only I had a chimp, which I don't.
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| Draining excess water from packaging |
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| Sliced into rings |
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Taking a soak in milk for about 30 minutes
You thaw them under refrigeration. When I opened them up, I drained them before I sliced into rings. Then, I soaked them in milk for about 30 minutes. I've read some recipes that state you can soak up to 4 hours, if you want/need to.
I made my dredge with flour, 3 tsp paprika, 1 tsp kosher salt, a little cayenne and fresh ground black pepper. Once I drained the calamari from the milk, I just tossed them around in my seasoned flour. I don't own a deep fryer, so I just mixed some vegetable oil and Crisco and fried the squid in a saucepan on my stovetop. Since they are so small and delicate, you only have to cook them 30-40 seconds, or until they look right to you.
I am feeling so accomplished! I guess that's not saying much since I just told you how ridiculously easy this is. Nonetheless, I had calamari in my own home, prepared by me. Oh yeah, I made a simple lemon aioli as well.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving leftovers. Some suggestions from my past: turkey enchiladas, turkey taco soup, and turkey paninis. Have fun!
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