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Rhode Island Style Fried Calamari (Paleo)

This paleo Rhode Island style fried calamari recipe is grain-free so you don't need to be skittish about this squid dish. Excellent calamari from our favorite Mangia Paleo!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound whole squid (about 7-8 pieces)
  • 1/2 cup Fatworks Grass-Fed Tallow
  • 1 egg, whisked
  • 4-5 hot cherry peppers (green and red)
  • 2 teaspoons Flavorgod lemon garlic seasoning OR 1/2 tsp garlic powder & 1/2 tsp onion powder 
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (dried parsley, basil, oregano blend)
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup marinara sauce
  • 2 lemon wedges
Prep time: Approximately 30 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 3-4 as an appetizer
Fat: Buffalo Tallow, Lamb Tallow, Pure Tallow
Tags: Gluten Free, Paleo Friendly

DIRECTIONS

If your squid is not already cleaned, be sure to clean your squid. Typically this is already done for you if you are buying at the seafood counter. I also remove the little wings toward the end of the squid. Just slice a bit and pull them off. Now you have just the tube and the tentacles connected.

STEP 1

Cut the squid before the hot peppers. That way, your squid AND peppers aren’t spicy. Just the peppers, the way it should be. Slice off the tentacles, but leave it whole so it looks like a mini octopus. Cut the squid into 3/4 inch rings. It will shrink to about 1/2 inch or so during cooking. Set aside.

STEP 2

Slice the cherry peppers into rings. I knock the seeds and membrane out which minimizes the heat. Set aside.

STEP 3

Whisk the egg with 1 tbsp water. Set aside.

STEP 4

In a large flat plate combine almond flour, coconut flour, and seasonings. Salt is very important in this recipe. Set aside.

STEP 5

On a stove-top pan heat 1/2 the amount of tallow on medium-high heat. Meanwhile, it’s time to dip the sliced peppers and squid in the egg wash. This is actually an option, depending on how much you like coating on your squid. After a quick dip, coat in the flour mixture. a light coating will do. Vigorously shake off the extra flour before adding to the hot tallow. Test ONE pepper or squid. This will help you judge whether or not the fat is too hot.

STEP 6

Fry the calamari first. Drain and filter the fat, then add the second half of the fat and fry the remaining peppers.

STEP 7

Salt the food immediately after frying. Set it on a paper towel to soak up unnecessary fat.

STEP 8

Right before serving squeeze a few wedges of lemon onto the fried magical goodness. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

NOTE #1: I do not add all the peppers and calamari at once. I do the calamari first in about 2-3 batches and then the peppers in another batch. During this process, the flour may be left behind. You may drain/filter the oil after the second or third batch is it begins to darken with too much flour. You may risk burning the flour and jeopardizing the taste if you keep using the same oil in the pan.

NOTE #2: Salt is really important when you cook. Especially with seafood. And even more especially with fried food. Salt doesn’t make the food salty, it simply enhances flavor. Remember to sprinkle salt as soon as you take it out of the pan.