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Fried Calamari with Zingy Aioli (Gluten Free)

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time7 minutes
Total Time22 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: anchovies, calamari, cayenne, gluten free, gluten free flour, gluten free graham crackers, lemon, mayonnaise, Parsley
Servings: 4 people
Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

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

If not gluten free, use regular flour and graham crackers.
I buy my fresh calamari at Whole Foods Market. 
Calamari cooks very quickly. It will be cooked within 1 minute. The extra minute is to ensure the graham cracker coating gets crispy and golden brown.