I’ve always been crazy about fried squid. In any good Italian-bistro restaurant, it’s on the menu and it’s almost always my starter. So I absolutely needed my homemade version. And honestly, my version clearly beats restaurant ones, no shame at all. Tender inside, ultra crispy crust with cornmeal and cornstarch, marinara sauce that packs a punch, and the whole thing is done in less than 30 minutes. Really, it’s so easy to make and so good that you’ll wonder why you haven’t tried it before.<\/p>\n
The secret to avoiding rubbery squid is to soak them in milk with salt for 20 minutes before cooking. It tenderizes the flesh, neutralizes the marine bitterness and gives you tender rings like in good Italian restaurants. For the breading, I combine flour + yellow cornmeal + cornstarch with my seasonings. That’s what gives the crispy crust that holds without getting greasy. Fry at 375\u00b0F in hot vegetable oil, in small batches so you don’t drop the temperature, and you get golden crispy squid that’s to die for.<\/p>\n
This recipe is an appetizer for 4 people (or main course for 2-3 without shame) that transforms a Saturday night with friends into an impromptu Italian restaurant feast. Serve the squid hot straight from the fryer with my spicy marinara sauce (chili flakes are optional but I suggest them) for dipping, or even a little lime-cilantro mayo or aioli if you prefer. Completely mind-blowing bonus: you can make them ahead, store them in the fridge and reheat them in the air fryer for 3-4 minutes to get back their crispiness like fresh from the fryer. As good as the day before, I swear.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Italian-style crispy fried squid with homemade marinara sauce. The authentic bistro appetizer that clearly beats restaurant versions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":60600,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"fried squid with marinara sauce","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Crispy Fried Squid with Marinara Sauce Recipe","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Crispy Italian fried squid tossed in homemade marinara sauce, an easy appetizer that beats any restaurant version. Give it a try!","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"Fried squid with marinara sauce","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"Italian-style crispy fried squid with homemade marinara sauce. The authentic bistro appetizer that clearly beats restaurant versions.","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":""},"recipe_category":[172,164,167],"sponsorship":[],"class_list":["post-60599","recipe","type-recipe","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","recipe_category-fishes-seafood","recipe_category-starters-aperos","recipe_category-main-dishes"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n