on Nov 07, 2022, Updated Dec 15, 2023
Calamari for Feast of the Seven Fishes
The Feast of the Seven Fishes is a special Italian-American 🎄 Christmas Eve tradition, celebrated with a range of seafood dishes. Rooted in the custom of refraining from meat on this holy night, the feast typically features seven different types of 🐟 fish, as a way to symbolize spiritual completeness. You can choose fish dishes from this easy calamari to shrimp to flavorful fish stews, each dish is prepared with love and tradition. My family would gather around the table to savor this seafood celebration, creating lasting memories and honoring both culinary and cultural legacies during the holiday season.
Why You’ll Love Calamari
This easy calamari recipe promises a delicious experience with its rich buttermilk marinade. The perfectly seasoned dredging, versatile cooking options (feel free to use frozen squid rings instead of calamari!), and 🌶️ zesty mayo you can serve it with, add layers of taste and texture to this amazing dish. Whether you opt for a classic fry or a lighter air-fry, the result is a restaurant-quality dish that’s easy to prepare. This easy calamari recipe is sure to become a favorite for its simplicity and delicious result.
How to Prepare Calamari
🥛 Buy buttermilk or make your own by combining milk with vinegar or lemon juice, then letting it curdle for 5 minutes. 🦑 Marinate calamari or squid rings in the buttermilk mixture for at least an hour. You can also buy whole squid and cut it into rings which is always my proffered method. 🥚 Set up a dredging station with seasoned flour, whisked eggs, and breadcrumbs (add Parmesan to breadcrumbs if you’d like). 🍞 Dip each calamari ring in flour, then eggs, and finally breadcrumbs, ensuring they are well-coated. 🔥 Fry the coated rings in hot oil for 2 minutes on each side until golden, or choose to air-fry. 🍋 Serve the calamari rings hot with lemon wedges and a side of spicy mayo. To make spicy mayo, mix any mayo with your preferred hot sauce. Enjoy!
Variations and Substitutions for Calamari
Feel free to get creative and make the recipe to your taste preferences or dietary needs. As always, don’t forget to tell me in the comments how it goes!
Best Served With
A Simple Green Salad would be a great option. A dipping sauce like the spicy mayo I recommend, or you could consider offering other dipping sauces like marinara, aioli, or tzatziki for a different option. You could make crusty garlic bread (with my No Knead Peasant Bread) or even breadsticks.
Common Questions
