June Recipie: Quick Calamari with Garlic Mayonnaise

I always have a bag of frozen squid in my freezer as a standby. This recipe makes a great snack with drinks, a starter for 4, or a quick supper for 2 with a salad.

Make the garlic mayonnaise by mixing ½ a clove of garlic and 100g best quality mayonnaise and adjust according to taste and make more if you feel it will not be enough. Mix thoroughly cover and put in the fridge.

Cut a lemon into wedges and remove any seeds.

Ingredients

• 250ml groundnut oil, or as needed depending on the size of pan
• 400 - 500g frozen squid (tubes and tentacles) defrosted
• 2 tbsps cornflower
• 4 tbsps semolina
• 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning or 1tsp salt and 1tsp paprika

Method

1. Heat the oil in a smallish saucepan and while it’s heating up drain and cut the thawed squid into 1cm rings.
2. Put the cornflower, semolina and seasoning in a good sized plastic freezer bag and shake up well.
3. Add the squid rings and tentacles to the bag and toss to coat.
4. Test the heat of the oil by dropping a cube of bread into it and it is hot enough if the bread sizzles up fiercely. Fry the squid in batches to get a golden crunchiness. Each batch will only take a couple of minutes. (The squid will go rubbery if it is cooked for too long)

Serve promptly with the garlic mayonnaise served in a small bowl garnished with a sprinkle of paprika and lemon wedges.

This is one of my favourite indulgences with plenty of garlic!! The Tidy Cook