Some women have a weakness for shoes. An uncontrollable urge to buy the newest pair of boots, the season's strappiest sandal, or just one more pair of black heels. I have a similar problem, only it doesn't relate to footwear. I am incapable of walking past a tantalizing seasonal ingredient, holding a fresh piece of protein or even inhaling an intoxicating spice without feeling an immediate need to buy it. Granted, I don't react this way to just any ingredient, but there are a chosen few that seem to always make their way into my fridge. A good example is squid, or more specifically, cleaned and ready-to-use squid. It's so easy to order fried calamari at a restaurant and have it be over-cooked and gummy, but it just comes out perfect every time at home. Not to mention that it's quick cooking, easy, low fat and of course, delicious.
Just one look at my favorite seafood stand at the Union Square farmers market and I was sold on buying half a pound of fresh, cleaned, whole squid. As far as seafood goes it's really affordable since a little goes a long way, whether it's as an appetizer or as an ingredient in a rice or pasta dish (mine was about 5 bucks!). While I didn't immediately have a preparation in mind, the impulse to buy was just too strong and I caved, knowing that I could put it to good use somehow. Fortunately, that night I wasn't all that hungry and figured an appetizer-sized portion of easy fried calamari would be the perfect dinner. And it just so happens that my basic recipe is super easy, fast, and if done right, not even very messy for fried food.
I start by cutting the bodies into long, languid strands instead of rounds. This way, the final dish has a little spring to it (kind of like curly fries), stacks up really nicely on the plate, and cooks even faster. Then, after a quick rinse and dry in water (just in case they missed something at the fishmonger) I toss the whole thing in seasoned flour. You can really use any spices you want for the seasoning, and I often mix them up depending on what I'm going for. In the past I've done very spicy mixes, or very herbal ones, even super salty or strong curried ones. This time I wanted something with a little smoky kick so I combined the flour with lots of smoky paprika, a little cumin, salt and lots of cracked white pepper. It was exactly what I wanted--soft on the inside with a little crunch and spice on the outside. And best of all, the frying takes less than five minutes and the dredging can be done in a minute if you toss everything together in a large bowl. Here's what I came up with, but definitely experiment with using your favorite spices. The important thing to remember is that you should have about 1/3 the amount of spices as the amount of flour, regardless of what you're using.
Smoky Fried Calamari
1/2 lb fresh cleaned squid, cut lengthwise into long, 1/4 inch wide strands
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh cracked white pepper
vegetable oil for frying (or other light oil)
1. Combine flour, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss squid in seasoned flour, coating well and shaking off excess.
2. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed skillet or dutch oven (the higher the sides, the less messy splashing you'll get) until hot but not smoking. Add squid to oil in batches until all of it is cooked through (about 45 seconds to 1 minute a batch) and remove to a plate covered with paper towel.
3. Serve sprinkled with salt and a side of lemon wedges. Enjoy!
-Laura
This weekend turned out to be a fruitful one, despite having no actual plans other than to run errands around the neighborhood. I knew I'd make yet another stop at the Hell's Kitchen flea market (I think this may be an every weekend event) to buy some antique art for my kitchen wall. I ended up finding exactly what I was looking for at the very decent price of 10 bucks for a set of two round, framed paintings of fruits and veggies. Delighted with my purchases I decided I should explore my new 'hood a little more thoroughly. After all, if decorating and design bargains were just down the block, who knew what kind of bounty the rest of the area might be hiding?
So, I set off through the crowds of 42nd street and down the slightly more vacant back alleys behind the Port Authority bus terminal. Once a vast wasteland that I avoided at all costs, I soon discovered that this random place held everything I sought. In the near distance I saw a sign heralding a meat market, and incredibly intrigued by what I might find inside, I entered. At first I thought I'd walked into some kind of discount family store, but soon found myself in the first of several refrigerated rooms. First a dairy room chock full of butter, yogurt and milk, followed by a poultry room, and then a pork, veal and beef room. It was like a dream come true! After stocking up on French butter, a few rib eyes and several kinds of chops, I made my way back out onto Ninth Avenue in search of another untapped resource.
After several minutes exploring a West African store and eavesdropping on a very interesting conversation about stewed goat and palm sugar, I headed back out onto the street and discovered a fairly large fish shop. This place was great, and fully stocked with not only a variety of fresh fish and seafood, but also a wonderful selection of frozen seafood. All sizes of shrimp, scallops and even crabs could be found, but I opted for a nice long piece of fresh cod and a half a pound of baby squid. Beaming senselessly as I walked towards home with my purchases, I couldn't help but feel a slight skip in my step. I couldn't believe how scared I'd once been of this area and of moving here. In reality, Hell's Kitchen has turned out to be a culinary oasis among the red sauce desert surrounding it. Finally arriving back at my apartment I stowed all of my purchases and made a late lunch/early dinner out of my baby squid. I usually make this simple dish during the summer, but I just couldn't contain my excitement. It was a nice light meal, and perfect with a glass of fresh iced tea. Here's the very simple and easy recipe for grilled baby squid. It would definitely serve 2 people as a nice simple starter:
Grilled Baby Squid
1/2 pound fresh baby squid, cleaned
olive oil
juice of half a lemon, plus wedges for garnish
salt
pepper
1. Heat a grill or grill pan until very hot, almost smoking. Drizzle or brush it with olive oil.
2. Salt and pepper squid and grill on both sides until cooked through. It will appear to swell and pop, that's okay. Remove to a serving platter when done.
3. Turn off the heat and deglaze grill pan with lemon juice and pour it on top of the squid. If you used a grill, just squeeze the lemon juice over the plated squid. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!
-Laura
For as long as I've lived in Manhattan (going on almost nine years now), I've lived downtown, on the east side. So it was with some trepidation that I suddenly began searching for an apartment not only on the west side, but in Hell's Kitchen, an area not considered "downtown" by anyone's standards. Although I was able to find a larger, cheaper apartment within walking distance of my office, I was still nervous to explore a new area. After spending President's Day weekend on a self-imposed lock down setting up the apartment and this past weekend with out of town friends, it's become clear that I still know very little about my new neighborhood. In what little time I've had to explore (i.e. quick after work grocery runs) I've discovered that living off of restaurant row has its perks. The best perk? A better selection of fresh foods and import ingredients at the supermarket.
For months I'd been dying to make a chili-salt squid recipe to no avail. I searched Murray Hill and the surrounding neighborhoods weekend after weekend, every time I had a chance to visit the supermarket or the fishmonger, and evidently, squid is not a popular item, and therefore rarely carried by anyone. By contrast, a quick stop at the Hell's Kitchen Amish Market led to my finally purchasing a pound of squid(!). Even the barking dog and screaming demon child next door couldn't bring me down from my new found gastronomic high. As I prepared a very simple dry rub, I wondered aloud (sometimes that happens when you live alone) whether or not I remembered how to properly clean squid. Opening the clear plastic container I found that the pound of squid was not only clean, but impossibly fresh smelling.
Practically aflutter with culinary joy, I thinly sliced the squid into snowy white tendrils and got the oil screaming hot. One of the great things about this dish is how quickly it cooks up. All that's really involved is cutting the squid, coating it in the flour and spices and frying it--for five minutes! The results are very impressive, since few people actually ever make fried calamari at home. Cut into long, languid strands and coated in a mix of brick red spices, the result is a spicy tangle of squid unlike any you've tried before. I topped mine off with fresh red chilies, scallions, and a few good squirts of lemon juice, all of which work well with the soft, noodle like interior and crunchy, salty coating. I adapted the recipe (the original is from Kylie Kwong's cookbook, Heart and Soul) to fit my needs by adding a lot more flavor--mostly spices--and a bit more salt. I was very happy with the final result and came to the conclusion that despite the devil spawn next door, life in Hell's Kitchen has so far proven to be a little slice of heaven. Here's my final recipe:
Chili Salt Squid
1 lb fresh squid, cleaned and thinly sliced
3 heaping Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp chili powder
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 Tbsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
Vegetable oil for frying, about 3 cups
2 lemon wedges
Fresh red chili and scallion for garnish (optional)
1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pot (I used a wok) until very hot, but not smoking.
2. Meanwhile, combine flour, chili, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add squid and coat well in the spice mixture.
3. Add squid to the oil and fry in batches until golden, crisp and cooked through. Top with thinly sliced red chili and scallions and serve with lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Two Helpful Tips:
***I like to save the oil from a dish like this (so long as it hasn't burned) by straining out the crumbly bits and keeping the spice infused oil for future dishes. It'll add instant spicy flavor to the next thing you sauté.
***If you like to keep your freezer stocked with proteins (as I do), make this dish with frozen calamari rings for a super fast appetizer.
-Laura
