Serves 6-8
Ingredients
Vegetable oil for deep frying (about 2 cups)
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup buttermilk
1 pound squid with tentacles, cleaned and sliced into thin rings
½ cup flour
½ cup cornmeal
½ cup breadcrumbs (fine)
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped superfine
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped superfine
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped superfine
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, ground fine
Chive Blossom Garlic Aioli (recipe follows)
Lemon wedges
Directions
In a small mixing bowl mix together the lemon juice and the buttermilk and add the calamari, making sure to mix well and that all calamari pieces are covered with the milk and lemon mixture. Let marinate for about 30 minutes. Heat the oil to a medium high heat. In a medium mixing bowl mix together flour, cornmeal, and breadcrumbs, then add in the herbs making sure they are chopped superfine. Season with salt and pepper and set mixture aside. Strain the calamari and little by little place the calamari in the flour mixture, gently tumbling around until completely coated in the flour mixture. Drop into the hot oil and allow to fry for about 1-2 minutes or until the calamari is floating for more than a few seconds. Drain on paper towels. Serve with lemon wedges and the aioli for dipping.
Chive Blossom Garlic Aioli
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients
1 egg
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chive blossoms
Directions
In a blender or food processor, place egg and chopped garlic. Whirl until garlic is smooth. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow stream, until the sauce is thick and emulsified. Add the vinegar and salt. The sauce should be creamy and mayonnaise-like and will have a nice garlic bite. Add one tablespoon of the chive blossoms and blend a few more seconds. Place the aioli in a small bowl and mix in remaining chive blossoms. If the aioli is runny, this may mean the egg was old. To fix this problem, either try again with a fresher egg or add store-bought mayonnaise to the sauce.