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Crispy Italian calamari fritti rings and tentacles on a white plate with lemon wedges and parsley

Calamari Fritti: The Italian Fried Squid Recipe That Actually Stays Crispy

Italian-style fried squid coated in a semolina-flour mix and fried until pale gold and crisp. A classic antipasto or starter ready in about 30 minutes.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 380
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the squid
  • 600 g cleaned squid (calamari) cut into 1 cm rings, tentacles kept whole
  • 500 ml cold sparkling water optional, for soaking
For the coating
  • 75 g plain flour (all-purpose)
  • 75 g fine semolina
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt plus extra flaky salt to finish
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
For frying and serving
  • 1 liter neutral frying oil (sunflower or peanut) for deep frying
  • 2 pieces lemon cut into wedges
  • 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped, optional garnish

Method
 

Prepare the squid
  1. If soaking, place squid rings and tentacles in a bowl with cold sparkling water for 15 minutes, then drain thoroughly.
  2. Spread squid on a clean kitchen towel or several layers of paper towels and press dry. The squid must be as dry as possible before coating.
Make the coating
  1. Whisk together plain flour, fine semolina, 1 tsp sea salt, and black pepper in a wide shallow bowl until evenly combined.
Heat the oil
  1. Pour oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven to a depth of at least 6 cm. Heat over medium-high heat until a kitchen thermometer reads 180 C / 355 F.
Coat and fry
  1. Working in batches of 8 to 10 rings, toss squid in the flour-semolina mix and shake off any excess coating so only a thin layer remains.
  2. Lower coated squid carefully into the hot oil and fry for 2 to 2.5 minutes until pale gold and just crisp at the edges. Do not let them brown deeply.
  3. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon and transfer immediately to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Season with flaky salt right away.
  4. Check oil temperature returns to 180 C / 355 F between each batch before adding the next.
Serve
  1. Arrange calamari fritti on a warm plate, scatter with chopped parsley if using, and serve immediately with lemon wedges alongside.

Notes

Nutrition is estimated per serving and assumes moderate oil absorption during frying. Actual absorption varies with oil temperature control.