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Calamari - Chewy Rubbery probs

post #1 of 5
8/1/11 at 12:38am
Thread Starter 

I checked in recipes forum and there is no thread for Fried Calamari. Tested a few recipes for fried calamari. Thought this should be simple but I must be missing something. Great fried calamari is crisp and not rubbery. So I cut squid into rings, soaked in buttermilk for 1hr. (also tested without),light coating of seasoned flour, fried in veg oil at 375 about 1 min, placed on paper towels. Nice color, nice seasoning. Terrible chewy texture. Do we have an amazing fried calamari pro on the board for advice. What am I doing wrong?

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post #2 of 5
8/1/11 at 3:54am

Calamari is either flash fried for a moment or braised for awhile. Anything else produces rubber.

Try your method again and see if your " minute" really IS just 1 minute. 30 seconds too much can have devastating results.

I say practice it again.

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post #3 of 5
8/7/11 at 5:58am

i normally dip it in flour, then batter then fry for 45 seconds and remove, and throw over a little salt and it keeps it crispy

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post #4 of 5
8/7/11 at 3:03pm

What the other chefs said, but also-

 

I'd nix the buttermilk as the lactic acid in such a marinade will tighten the proteins in such a delicate flesh before you even cook it, leading to more toughness, not less.

 

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post #5 of 5
8/7/11 at 3:33pm

I'd say Foodnfoto hit the nail on the head. The acid in the buttermilk has pre-cooked the squid, then the hot oil took it past the point in needs to be.

 

Whether using heat or acid, squid needs to follow the 2/20 rule. You cook it either for less than 2 minutes or more than 20. Anything else makes it rubbery.

 

Try it again, without the buttermilk. You might, too, want to try dusting it with flour mixed with turmeric, which gives the finished rings a beautiful golden color.

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