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Spain · Squid

Spanish Fried Calamari Rings

Calamares a la Romana

The tapa every Spanish bar does best: tender squid rings in a light flour-and-egg coat, fried golden and served with nothing more than lemon. In Madrid they even stuff them in a roll.

  • Prep 20 min
  • Cook 15 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy
Photo: Francesc Fort · CC BY-SA 4.0
Served with: Blistered Padrón Peppers ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the calamari

To serve

Method

Step by step, the way it is done on the island.

  1. Cut the rings. Slice the squid bodies into rings about ½ inch (1 cm) wide. Pat them very dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
  2. Heat the oil. Pour 2 inches (5 cm) of oil into a deep pan and heat to 360 °F (180 °C).
  3. Coat. Toss the rings in flour and shake off the extra. Beat the eggs in a bowl and dip a handful of floured rings in the egg.
  4. Fry. Lift the rings out of the egg, let the excess drip off and fry in small batches 1½–2 minutes, until pale gold. Drain on paper towels.
  5. Serve. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and serve right away with lemon wedges and a plate of pimientos de Padrón.

On the side

The side dish that belongs with it, full recipe included.

Galicia, Spain

Blistered Padrón Peppers

Pimientos de Padrón

Little green peppers fried in olive oil until blistered and showered with sea salt. As the Galicians say, some are hot and some are not.

  • Prep 5 min
  • Cook 5 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 8 oz (225 g) Padrón or shishito peppers
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Coarse or flaky sea salt

How to make it

  1. Dry the peppers. Rinse the peppers and pat them completely dry so the oil does not spatter.
  2. Blister. Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the peppers in one layer and cook 3–4 minutes, tossing, until blistered all over and slightly softened.
  3. Salt and serve. Tip onto a plate, sprinkle generously with sea salt and serve right away. Eat them by the stem.

Photo: Gordito1869 · CC BY-SA 4.0

More ways to cook Squid

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

Lima, PeruPeruvian Crispy Squid
Cienfuegos, CubaCuban Squid in Its Ink
Algarve, PortugalPortuguese Stuffed Squid in Tomato Sauce