Spicy Lemon Herb Calamari

Why This Spicy Lemon Herb Calamari Works

Soaking the squid rings in buttermilk first keeps them tender. During that short soak, the buttermilk seeps into the squid and starts to loosen it up a bit, so it doesn’t go rubbery when it hits the hot oil. At the same time, the outside of the squid stays a little wet, which helps the seasoned flour cling in a nice even layer.

Once the coated squid goes into the 350°F oil, the flour on the outside cooks fast. It dries out, browns, and turns into a thin, crisp shell while the squid inside cooks quickly and stays soft. Frying in small batches keeps the oil hot, so the coating crisps instead of soaking up too much oil and going soggy.

After frying, the hot calamari gets tossed with lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, and cilantro. The warm crust soaks up the lemon and herb juices on the surface, so the outside stays bright and punchy while the inside stays mild and tender.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the squid fry too long is the fastest way to ruin this dish. After a couple of minutes in hot oil, the protein tightens up; past that, the rings turn tough and rubbery instead of staying tender with a light bite.

When the oil isn’t hot enough, the calamari sits in the oil and soaks it up instead of crisping. The coating turns pale and greasy, and the rings feel heavy and soggy instead of light and crunchy.

Skipping the buttermilk soak leaves the squid surface dry and slippery, so the flour mixture doesn’t cling well. In the pan, the coating falls off in patches, leaving bare squid that browns unevenly and a lot of burnt flour bits in the oil.

Adding the lemon juice before frying or while the calamari is still in the oil causes problems. The acid makes the coating soften and break down, so instead of a crisp shell with a fresh lemon finish, the rings end up with a wet, slightly mushy outside.