Yogurtsoda Gratuitous food and travel.

There are a million versions of fried calamari and it’s ubiquitous on just about every other restaurant menu. Still, a well-made plate can be absolutely delicious, especially if the calamari remains tender.

I adapted my version of this classic from a Jose Andres recipe; it was originally published in his Made In Spain cookbook as a sandwich, but I’ve adapted it sans bread. The calamari in this recipe hold a very light crust, so make sure to fry it long enough to attain crispiness.

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh small squid, bodies and tentacles separated
vegetable oil for deep-frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
sea salt to taste
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup good-quality mayonnaise (optional)

1. Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic and salt together until you have a smooth paste. Turn the mortar while you mash, scraping down the garlic from the sides with the pestle. Add the lemon juice and then add the olive oil, drop by drop, as you continue to crush the paste with the pestle. Keep turning the pestle with a slow, continuous, circular motion as you drip in the oil slowly, making sure the past absorbs the olive oil. Keep adding the oil until the sauce has the consistency of a very thick mayonnaise. If you find that your aioli is too thin, mix in about 1/4 cup store-bought mayonnaise to even out the consistency.

2. Cut the squid bodies into 1-inch rings.

3. Heat vegetable oil in a deep-frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Put the flour in a large mixing bowl and season with salt. Add the squid rings and tentacles and coat with the flour. Drop the floured squid into a mesh strainer or colander and shake gently to knock off excess flour. Working in batches, fry the squid in the hot oil until golden, about 1 minute. Transfer to a paper-lined plate with a slotted spoon and drain. Repeat with remaining squid.

4. Sprinkle fried squid with more sea salt to taste, if desired, and serve warm with garlic aioli.