Fried Calamari with Habanero Honey Glaze
Crisp fried calamari with a lemon-habanero honey glaze, made with a gluten-free flour blend option.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Calamari Tubes Thawed
- 3 cups Vegetable Oil
- ½ cup Milk
- ½ cup Gluten-Free 1:1 Flour
- ½ cup Tapioca Flour
- 3 Tbsp Cornstarch
- ½ tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp Kosher Salt Plus Extra for Post Frying and Glaze
- ½ tsp Coarse Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tsp LiveHotSauce Habanero Cabana
- ¼ cup Honey
- ½ tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 Lemon
Method
- SOAK: Rinse the calamari tubes and remove any cartilage. Slice into ¾-inch rings. Combine with the milk, juice of half the lemon and 1 tsp salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- HEAT THE OIL AND MIX THE DREDGE: Gradually heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan, monitoring the temperature. Whisk both flours, cornstarch, baking powder, garlic powder, remaining 1 tsp salt and pepper in a baking pan. For the non-gluten-free option, replace both flours with 1 cup all-purpose flour.
- COAT: Coat the calamari in three batches and transfer to a sheet pan with a drip grate. Rest for 5 minutes. Heat the oil to 370–375°F for the first batch.
- FRY: Fry one-third of the calamari for 2–3 minutes, until golden. Drain on paper towels and salt immediately. Between batches, allow about 5 minutes for the oil to recover to at least 360°F. Keep cooked calamari warm in an oven’s warm/hold setting if needed.
- GLAZE: Whisk the hot sauce, honey, remaining half-lemon juice, Dijon and a pinch of salt. Drizzle your preferred amount over the fried calamari.