A Great Appetizer: Panko Crusted Fried Calamari

One of my all time favorite appetizers is fried calamari. Not exactly health food, but if it’s done right, it’s worth all the calories in my opinion. There are a few restaurants (mostly Italian, some seafood) of which I will always remember their calamari. One that I will never forget is the fried calamari from Legal Seafood Restaurant in Boston. I lived in Boston for 2 years and I used to love taking visitors to that restaurant just so I could order their calamari with hot banana peppers. YUM.

Another favorite was from an Italian restaurant in Encinitas, California….served with fresh lemon slices and marinara sauce, the Italian way is one of my favorites. A good aioli dipping sauce is pretty tasty too. This recipe is one my mom whipped up the other night. No dipping sauce, just fresh lemon to squeeze over them.

The panko and seasonings made the perfect crust. Mom is known for throwing things together therefore there is rarely a recipe involved. I watched her closely and tried to pin down some measurements so that you could try this for yourself! These were a huge hit for our appetizer and really very simple to make.

Mom found her calamari steaks at the seafood counter. They may a little difficult to find depending on your location.

These were the seasonings used, along with the panko

Toss it all around in a bag

and start frying

Let them drain while you fry up the next batch

These were devoured by everyone!

Panko Crusted Fried Calamari

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pound calamari steaks, cut in strips
1 1/2 cup panko
1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Morton’s Steak seasoning
Vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pat calamari dry. Place panko and seasoning in a zip lock bag. Place calamari strips in the panko mixture and shake until well coated.

2. Heat a medium skillet on medium high heat, add vegetable oil about 1 1/2 inches deep. Wait a few minutes for oil to get hot. Add calamari to pan, make sure to only have one layer, not too crowded. Fry for 1-2 minutes per side until lightly browned. Caution, the oil may pop so it’s helpful to have a splatter shield over the skillet. Remove to paper towels to drain. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves ~6.

Recipe from Nutritious Eats, courtesy of mom