← All recipes · Species guide: Squid
Peru · Squid

Peruvian Crispy Squid

Chicharrón de Calamar

A cebichería classic from Lima: squid in a crackly cornstarch coat, fried hard and fast and piled up with yuca, lime and a tangle of salsa criolla on top.

  • Prep 20 min
  • Cook 15 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy
Photo: Ocdp · CC0
Served with: Fried Cassava Sticks ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the squid

For the coating

To serve

Method

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

  1. Season. Toss the squid with the lime juice, garlic, salt, cumin and pepper. Let it sit 10 minutes, no longer.
  2. Mix the coating. Stir the flour, cornstarch and salt together in a wide bowl. Heat 2 inches (5 cm) of oil to 350 °F (175 °C).
  3. Coat. Lift the squid from the marinade, shake well and toss in the flour mix until every piece is covered. Shake off the extra in a sieve.
  4. Fry. Fry in small batches 2 minutes, until crisp and golden. Drain on a rack or paper towels and salt lightly.
  5. Serve. Pile the chicharrón on a platter with yuca frita, top with salsa criolla and serve with lime wedges.

On the side

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

Panama

Fried Cassava Sticks

Yuca Frita

Cassava boiled tender, then fried into thick, fluffy fries with a crisp crust. Along Panama’s Pacific coast they come piled next to fried whole fish and a wedge of lime.

  • Prep 10 min
  • Cook 35 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 2 lb (900 g) fresh or frozen cassava (yuca)
  • 1 tbsp salt, for the water
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • Salt to finish
  • 1 lime, in wedges

How to make it

  1. Peel. Cut the cassava into 3-inch (8 cm) pieces, slit the thick skin and peel it off. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.
  2. Boil. Boil in salted water for 15–20 minutes until fork-tender but not falling apart. Drain, pull out the woody center cord and cut into thick sticks.
  3. Dry. Spread the sticks on a towel and let them steam dry for 10 minutes so they fry crisp.
  4. Fry. Fry in oil at 360 °F (180 °C) for 5–7 minutes until golden and crunchy. Drain, salt right away and serve with lime.

Photo: Horacio Cambeiro · CC BY-SA 3.0

More ways to cook Squid

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

Madrid, SpainSpanish Fried Calamari Rings
Cienfuegos, CubaCuban Squid in Its Ink
Algarve, PortugalPortuguese Stuffed Squid in Tomato Sauce