fried calamari with marinara sauce
SERVES 4
This is a popular dish that I serve at my restaurant, Sabores by Chef James, but instead of marinara sauce, it comes with a coconut sauce, which is unexpected. However, as delicious as the coconut sauce is, making it is rather labor intensive. The last thing I want to do is make your life difficult, so for the purpose of convenience, I’ve opted to include a marinara sauce, which is the classic and crowd-pleasing dip for calamari. The secret to great calamari is to cook it for a very short time, since overcooking will turn calamari hard and rubbery. This is a perfect recipe to share with guests!
INGREDIENTS:
canola oil
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon black pepper
salt
1 pound calamari rings
2 lemons for garnish
FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE
½ yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
olive oil
32 ounces crushed tomatoes
½ cup basil, chopped
4 bay leaves
CALAMARI PREPARATION:
1. In a large pot, preheat the canola oil to 375°F.
2. In a shallow bowl, mix the flour, paprika, black pepper, and salt.
3. Place the calamari rings in the flour mixture to coat.
4. Put the coated rings in the hot oil and fry for about 1½ minutes. Remove the calamari with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels.
SAUCE PREPARATION:
1. Mix all the vegetables except the crushed tomatoes in a food processor for 1 minute or until vegetables are finely chopped. If the food processor cannot take large amounts, do this in batches.
2. In a large pot, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the vegetable mixture over medium heat for about 7 minutes.
3. Add the crushed tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves.
4. Cook for another 40 minutes over medium heat.
5. Place some sauce in a small bowl.
6. Serve the calamari in a plate with the sauce on the side