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Crispy Calamari Tacos

5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients

TACOS

  • 1 lb Squid Tubes fresh or frozen
  • 1/2 cup Flour
  • 1/2 cup Cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp Panko Breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp Garlic Salt or Sea Salt
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1 tsp Dried Parsley
  • 2 Eggs

SLAW

  • 1 cup Cabbage
  • 1 medium Red Bell Pepper
  • 1 medium Green Bell Pepper
  • 1/2 Red Onion

DRESSING

  • 1/3 cup Whole Egg Mayonaise
  • 1 tbsp Sriracha (for mild heat) **1 1/2 tbsp for medium heat
  • 1 tbsp Lime Juice
  • 1/2 tsp Finely Grated Ginger
  • 1 Garlic Clove crushed
  • 1/2 cup Coconut Oil
  • 10 small Soft Tacos
  • Cilantro

Instructions

SLAW:

  • Chop all 4 ingredients and place into a mixing bowl

DRESSING:

  • Add the dressing ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk together until combined. Add one tablespoon of dressing to the slaw and mix in.
  • Place a medium sized pan with sides onto the stove. Add the oil and set to medium high heat.

PREP SQUID:

  • Cut the calamari tubes into 1cm strips so that you end up with rounds.
  • In a new mixing bowl, place the flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, dried parsley and panko breadcrumbs. Mix together with a spoon.
  • Add the squid tubes to the egg wash, then take out one by one and place into the flour/crumb mix. Shake off excess and set aside on a plate. Repeat until all calamari have been dipped into egg wash first and then flour/crumb mix.
  • Shallow fry the calamari in batches for approx. 2 mins each or until golden. It will cook very quickly, and if overcooked it will become rubbery and tough.
  • Drain calamari on absorbent towel to remove any excess oil.
  • Heat a new clean pan on the stove top on high heat. Add the soft tacos one by one to heat and get a little color on. (Alternatively if you have a grill pan that works great too). Repeat until all tacos are done. Wrap in a tea towel or foil until needed.
  • Place taco in one hand and spoon a little sauce on bottom, followed by slaw, calamari, more sauce , a drizzle of lime and coriander/cilantro.

Notes

  1. Make sure the oil is hot before adding the calamari. How to check?  Add a little piece of panko and see if the oil sizzles.  If it does, then it’s ready.  If the calamari is added to oil that has not yet heated it will absorb much more of the oil during the cooking process and will not crisp up as well.
  2. Before putting the tacos together, dry fry them before hand so they’re not rubbery. I like to use a griddle pan (no oil) to get a little char on them.  Alternatively you could just heat a pan on high and heat each taco one at a time until a little bit of colour appears.
  3. I would avoid microwaving the soft tacos as it tends to make them softer and kind of squishy. Dry frying them is the way to go. 
  4. How to know if the calamari is cooked?  The best way is to test a piece of calamari that has been cooked as part of your first batch.  Let it cool for a few minutes and then cut a piece off and look at the white flesh.
    • It should be bright white with no sign of translucency.
    • It should be soft but not squishy between your fingers
    • The crumbs should be golden
    • If it looks or feels rubbery, it’s overcooked