Fried Calamari with Sundried Tomato Cocktail Sauce

Ease of Preparation: Easy

Yield: 4-6 servings

Chef Siobhan Detkavich is cooking for… Capricorn! So… what does an Earth Sign with a ruling planet of Saturn eat? This is a simple, crave-able dish that the Capricorns in your life are sure to love! Calamari rings mimic the rings of Capricorn’s ruling planet, Saturn. Serving these crispy bites alongside a classic pairing – sundried tomato cocktail sauce – appeals to Capricorn’s love of tradition.

Ingredients:

Fried Calamari:

• 1-pound (454 g) squid, cleaned and cut into ½ inch (1.25 cm) rings
• 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
• 3 jalapenos, emptied and sliced into thin rings
• 5 cherry peppers, emptied and sliced into rings
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 cup (240 ml) flour
• ½ cup (120 ml) cornstarch
• Salt and pepper
• Sundried Tomato Cocktail Sauce
• Lemon wedges to finish

Sundried Tomato Cocktail Sauce:

• ½ cup (120 ml) sundried tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) reserved sun-dried tomato oil from the jar
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey
• ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) garlic powder
• ¼ cup (60 ml) water
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) prepared horseradish
• Salt

Method:

For the Fried Calamari:

In a large bowl, combine the calamari, sliced peppers, and buttermilk. Allow to soak for 1 hour.

For the Sundried Tomato Cocktail Sauce:

Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a food processor, combine the sundried tomatoes and their oil, vinegar, honey, cayenne, garlic powder, and water. Puree until smooth.

Stir the horseradish into the sauce. Season with salt and refrigerate until needed.

To Finish the Calamari:

In a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over high heat, bring the oil to 375 F (190 C).

In a bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and stir together.

Drain the squid and pepper rings and add, in batches, to the flour mixture. Toss to ensure they’re well coated.

Shake off any excess flour, and carefully lower the squid and pepper rings into the hot oil, again in batches.

Fry until golden brown, around 90 seconds, gently stirring as needed to evenly colour the rings.

Use a wire strainer to transfer the fried squid and peppers to a paper towel-lined plate. Season with salt.

Squeeze lemon juice overtop the fried squid and peppers and add lemon wedges on the side.

Serve the Fried Calamari and Peppers immediately, along with a ramekin of Sundried Tomato Cocktail Sauce for dipping.