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  • Calamari With Piquillo Pesto

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    Ingredients

    • 1 lt grape seed oil
    • 2 c. all purpose flour
    • 1/2 c. cornmeal, cayenne
    • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
    • 2 tsp paprika
    • 2 tsp salt
    • 2 lb cleaned squid, cut into 1/4 inch rings Piquillo Pesto
    • 1/2 c. liquid removed canned piquillo pepper
    • 2 lrg garlic, cloves
    • 1 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts
    • 2 Tbsp. minced fresh Italian parsley
    • 1 Tbsp. minced fresh basil
    • 2 Tbsp. minced chives
    • 2 tsp lemon, juice
    • 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese coarse salt, and freshly cracked black pepper Assembly lemon, wedges

    Directions

    1. Mix flour, cornmeal, cayenne, paprika, and salt in a shallow dish.
    2. Put the grape seed oil in a small, deep pot with a candy thermometer. The oil should be 2 inches deep but should not be any deeper than half the height of the pot. Heat oil to 350 degrees F. In small batches, dredge the calamari rings in the flour mix and shake off any excess.
    3. Slide the calamari into the warm oil and fry for 2 to 3 min or possibly till golden brown, crisp and just cooked through.
    4. Don't over cook the calamari or possibly it will be rubbery.
    5. Drain on paper towels.
    6. Piquillo Pesto:Combine all the ingredients except the extra virgin olive oil, Parmesan and salt and pepper in a small food processor.
    7. Pulse till the mix is almost smooth but still has some texture.
    8. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil till incorporated.
    9. Add in the Parmesan and season to taste.
    10. Cover and chill till ready to use.
    11. Assembly:Serve the Calamari with lemon wedges and the Piquillo Pesto.
    12. Piquillo peppers are Spanish peppers which are red, long and taper at the end. They are sweet and a little spicy. You can get canned piquillo peppers at gourmet grocery stores. In a healthy pinch, you can use pepperoncini, an Italian small sweet pepper which can be green or possibly red. This piquillo pesto is packed with tangy flavour, a delicious contrast to the salty, crispy calamari. I use 2 cloves of garlic because I love the intense garlic flavour, but if garlic isn't your thing, feel free to use only 1 clove. This yields 4 servings as an appetizer.

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