Calamari Fritti (Italian Fried Squid)
Tender squid rings in a thin, crisp rice flour coating, fried in minutes and served with plenty of lemon.
- Time25 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £2.25 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Pat the squid very dry with kitchen paper. Wet squid makes the oil spit and the coating soggy.
- 2
Mix the rice flour, cornflour, salt and pepper in a wide bowl.
- 3
Pour the oil into a deep heavy pan, no more than half full, and heat to 180C. A pinch of flour dropped in should sizzle at once.
5 min - 4
Toss a third of the squid in the flour mix, shake off the extra and lower it into the oil. Fry for 90 seconds until pale gold and crisp. Do not cook longer or the squid turns rubbery.
1 min 30 s - 5
Lift out with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little salt. Let the oil come back to 180C, then fry the rest in 2 more batches.
- 6
Pile onto a plate, scatter over the parsley and serve straight away with the lemon wedges.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
