Calamari alla Romana
Tender squid rings in a light, golden batter — a classic Spanish tapa served hot with lemon.
Ingredients
- cleaned squid600 g
- wheat flour200 g
- egg1 pcs
- sparkling water150 ml
- frying oil600 ml
- lemon1 pcs
- salt1 to taste
Instructions
Clean the squid, removing the membranes and cartilage, rinse and cut into rings about 1 cm thick. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels and season with salt.
For the batter, separate the egg yolk from the white. Mix the yolk with 150 ml of very cold sparkling water, 120 g of flour and a pinch of salt until smooth.
Whip the egg white to soft peaks and gently fold it into the batter with a spatula to keep it light. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
In a deep pot or deep fryer, heat 600 ml of oil for frying to 175–180 °C.
Dredge each squid ring in the remaining 80 g of flour, shake off the excess, dip into the batter and immediately lower into the hot oil in small batches.
Fry the rings for 1.5–2 minutes, turning once, until evenly golden. Don't overcrowd the pot, so the oil temperature doesn't drop.
Transfer the cooked calamari to paper towels and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
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