Fried Calamari with Zingy Aioli (Gluten Free)
This recipe has been in my head for over 20 years! Does anyone remember the Philadelphia restaurant Carey’s on 15th street?? It only survived for a short while but my sister and I completely fell in love with the fried calamari. It was the most delicious calamari we ever had. The secret ingredient? Graham cracker crumbs! The restaurant is long gone but now you too can enjoy Fried Calamari with Zingy Aioli (Gluten Free). It’s got a sweet, slightly caramelized crunch and crispiness (thanks to the graham crackers) that you’d expect from a fried calamari dish and it’s complemented by a briny, slightly spicy aioli dipping sauce. The combination is totally outrageous!
Jump to RecipeIngredients
Organize all of the ingredients – For the zingy aioli: mayo, anchovies, lemon juice, parsley, and cayenne. For the calamari: gluten free graham crackers and flour, neutral oil, and calamari.
Making the Aioli
Place the mayo, anchovies, lemon juice, parsley and cayenne pepper in a medium sized bowl. Mix all of the ingredients together, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Remove aioli from the fridge a 1/2 hour before serving so that it’s chilled but not too cold.
Making the Graham Cracker Flour Mixture
Place graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until the crackers form into crumbs, may take as long as 1 minute to achieve. Then mix the graham cracker crumbs with the flour in a medium sized bowl. Set aside until ready to use. Once this is done, heat the oil in a large saucepan to 360 degrees and preheat the oven to keep the calamari hot after it’s been cooked.
Coating the Calamari
Divide calamari into 2-3 batches for easier frying and better crisping. (Place remaining calamari in the fridge until ready to coat and cook). Toss each batch in the graham cracker/flour mixture right before frying. Make sure calamari is fully coated in the mixture.
Frying the Calamari
Then carefully add the calamari to the heated oil. Cooking time will be between 1-2 minutes, depending on the size of your calamari rings and tentacles. You’ll know the calamari is cooked and ready to be removed when it is golden brown and crisp to the touch. Remove calamari with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the extra oil. Sprinkle each batch with kosher salt.
Before cooking the second and third batches make sure the oil temp resets to 360 degrees. To keep calamari warm while cooking batches 2 and 3, place cooked calamari in the oven on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Add second batch to the oven when cooked.
Fried Calamari with Zingy Aioli (Gluten Free)
Once all calamari is cooked, place on a platter with the spiced aioli and dig in!
Fried Calamari with Zingy Aioli (Gluten Free)
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Deep-fry thermometer
Ingredients
Zingy Aioli
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise regular or lowfat
- 3 anchovy fillets packed in oil finely minced
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 tablespoon parsley finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne adjust accordingly to your spice level tolerance
Calamari
- 1 pound calamari tubes and tentacles, fresh, rinsed under cold water and pat dry
- 4 cups vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup gluten free flour I like King Arthur’s Measure for Measure
- 1 cup gluten free graham crackers, approximately 6-7 crackers, I like Pamela’s brand (which I buy at Whole Foods)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided and to taste
Instructions
Zingy Aioli
- Mix all of the ingredients together, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Remove aioli from the fridge a 1/2 hour before serving so that it’s chilled but not too cold.
Calamari
- Place graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until the crackers form into crumbs, may take as long as 1 minute to achieve. Then mix the graham cracker crumbs with the flour in a medium sized bowl. Set aside until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees for warming.
- Heat oil to 360 degrees in a large, straight sided saucepan. Use a deep fry thermometer.
- While oil is heating, cut calamari into 1/4” rings using a sharp knife. If the tentacle clusters are large, cut them into smaller pieces. Divide calamari into 2-3 batches for easier frying and better crisping. (Place remaining calamari in the fridge until ready to coat and cook).
- Toss each batch in the graham cracker/flour mixture right before frying. Make sure calamari is fully coated in the mixture.
- Then carefully add the first batch of calamari to the heated oil. Cooking time will vary between 1-2 minutes, depending on the size of the calamari rings and tentacles. (See NOTES section below.) You'll know the calamari is cooked and ready to be removed when it is golden brown and crisp to the touch. Remove calamari with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the extra oil. Sprinkle each batch with kosher salt.
- Before cooking the second and third batches make sure the oil temp resets to 360 degrees.
- To keep calamari warm while cooking batches 2 and 3, place cooked calamari in the oven on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Add second batch to the oven when cooked.
- Once all calamari is cooked, place on a platter with the spiced aioli and dig in!
Notes
Recipe from Food Network and modified by me.
If you like this recipe, you may also like these other GFchow recipes. Asian-Glazed Shrimp and Calamari with Wilted Basil, Buffalo Wing Caramel Popcorn, and Crispiest Roasted Potatoes (Ina Garten).
GLUTEN FREE DISCLAIMER
The recipes you find here are considered by me to be gluten free. However, it is up to you to make sure the ingredients you use are gluten free. Whenever possible, I will list specific brands of ingredients that I use, but always be sure to check the labels yourself to verify the item is gluten free.
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