How to fry calamari
Deep-fry calamari twice, in oil at 320°F (160°C), then 390°F (200°C) for about 2–3 min + 90 sec, until very golden and very crispy. Treat the time as a starting point: piece size, batch size and your pot all change it, so watch the color and the oil thermometer rather than the clock.
- Oil temperature
- 320°F (160°C), then 390°F (200°C)
- Method
- Deep fry
- Starting time
- 2–3 min + 90 secdouble fry: 2 min (baby squid) or 3 min (tubes) at 320°F, then 90 sec at 390°F
- Piece size
- scored squid cut into 2 x 1 in (5 x 2 cm) rectangles
- Done when
- very golden and very crispy
Numbers from RecipeTin Eats: Truly Crispy Salt & Pepper Squid. Celsius values are rounded.
Getting it right
- Use a heavy, deep pot or a countertop fryer and fill it no higher than its safe fill line. The oil rises when food goes in.
- Clip a frying thermometer to the pot and bring the oil to 320°F (160°C), then 390°F (200°C). Keep the sensor in the oil, off the base of the pot.
- Pat the food dry before any coating. Water on the surface spits in hot oil and steams the crust soft.
- Lower a small batch in, away from you. The temperature will drop; adjust the burner so it climbs back toward the target.
- Lift out with a skimmer onto a rack over a tray, salt while hot, and let the oil recover before the next batch.
Why the temperature matters: oil that is too cool lets the coating soak up fat before it sets, so the outside goes heavy and pale. Oil that is too hot browns the outside before the middle is ready. The thermometer is how you hold the window between the two.