Rambling Rose

I've enjoyed this dish in restaurants but can't seem to replicate it at home.

I have a receipe which says: marinate the squid in olive oil and garlic for a while, then remove the garlic, coat with flour and shallow fry in more oil.

All I end up with is a disgusting (although tasty) mess as all the flour comes off the squid during the frying.

How do you get that light, crisp batter coating?

lynnxa

do you mean a la romana? in batter as opposed to just fried ??

try a tempura batter - four, egg & ice cold water

do the marinade bit, coat with four & then dip in the batter - then deep fry

Rambling Rose

Maybe I do mean a la romana, the picture in the receipe book makes it look as if they have batter on them but it clearly doesn't work.

I tried tempura flour but without using egg. So I'll give that a go, thanks.

lynnxa

I just use ordinary flour tbh - the icy water makes all the difference

Rambling Rose

That's lunch sorted then

Fred James

I use the smaller calamares - body about 8-10 cm long. I cut each body into about 4 pieces and just dip them in coating flour - Harina para Rebozados (not ordinary flour) and deep fry for about 2 minutes maximum.

The flour sticks OK as they are always a bit sticky.

I do the same with Boquerones.

stuboy

Your problem is most likely the olive oil in the marinade, just season the squid and then straight into flour and then a light coating of tempura batter

Pocaloca

I'm afraid I cheat and buy them frozen in Mercadona with the batter on already! Provided the oil is hot enough and deep enough, and you don't put in too many at a time which cools the oil, they are lovely.

Rambling Rose

Just had them for lunch - marinaded and then coated with batter made with egg & iced water.

Worked perfectly, delicious. Thanks everyone

lynnxa

yes - I do if there are lots of us - & sometimes the minced 'delices de calamar a la romana' if we have unadventurous non-spanish guests


I remember years ago when I did them for one of my dd's birthday parties - one of the little English girls who lived opposite us took a bite & spat it out

she said the doughnuts tasted horrible

Pocaloca

LOL, sounds like the first time my BF tried a mince pie! He took "mincemeat" literally ...

lynnxa

don't blame him for spitting that out