Anyone know how to make a sweet & salty calimari?

[Tab]

(the same recipe transcribes to shrimp)

A pepper and salt version would be just fine as well.

I've had excellent versions, one in San Francisco, the other in New Jersey, of all places (that was the best), a decent one nearby in New Hampshire, and some crappy ones - one so spiced it's inedible, the other, not too shabby, but not what I'm looking for.

Most calimari is just breaded and served with marinara sauce, but you might as well just order a shrimp basket. The good stuff has salt and can be eaten by itself and is in another category altogether.

I'll write the restaurant in NH and see if they'll share the recipe (don't recall the names of the other ones). Beyond that, any suggestions?

[Tesha]

1. Hey Tab!!!

We make it like this

a little cornstarch, lots of salt and pepper - fry quickly in an inch of oil -
drain on paper until they won't burn your mouth and then eat-em-up!

Salt and Pepper Squid mmmmm

[Tab]

2. Hey Tesha!!!

After we go to the Nepali place, I'll take you to this restaurant - maybe you've been there - the Chen Yang Li in Bow off of 89 exit 1. Best Chinese restaurant easily in NH, likely one of the top in New England.

Just let me know when you're free (PM me)

[Tesha]

4. There's one of those in Nashua too, about a mile (as the parrot flies) from our house! (NT)

[Tab]

6. I like easy solutions

I bought me some cornstarch (never seem to have it around), of course I have S & P, and oil (I'll use peanut oil unless you suggest something else). Wish I had my fry scoop but one of my thieving bastard dogs got to it first and likely used it as a chew toy. I haven't seen it for nearly a year.

Local store didn't have squid per se, but they had frozen seafood mixes of calimari, shrimp, mussels, some other shit, mainly caliimari, all uncooked (except for the mussels, which were shelled (or de-shelled).

I'll take a crack at it in another hour or so. Gotta relax first (and clean the kitchen too :( ) before going after this little project.

I did note that the place I really like in Concord mixes it into the batter, but one of the ones in Derry, which isn't too bad (the other is awful) actually puts a sweet and salty sauce on it with chopped veggies, but if you're not paying attention you think it's built into the shrimp.

Anyway, I'm after the batter style.

[Tab]

7. Spent tonight working with it. Close but no cigar.

A starting point, maybe, but not where I want to end up.

Thanks, anyway.

- Tab

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

3. In Rhode Island they bread or flour the calimari and saute it

with lots of garlic and vinegar pepper rings. MUCH better than the marinara thing.

[Tesha]

5. The sat-and-pepper style tends to be Asian rather than Italian.

Here in the Tesha household, both are well-appreciated!

In either case, the key is to not overcook the squid so you
don't end up with spiced rubber bands ;).

Tesha