CALAMARI TENTACLES RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Rinse the calamari and thoroughly pat dry. Cut the tubes into ½ inch rings and cut the tentacles in half lengthwise. 2. Place the calamari in a large bowl with the buttermilk. Let stand for at least 4 hours in the fridge. 3. In another bowl, combine the flour, paprika, salt and black pepper. 4. Pour the vegetable oil in a heavy 4-quart pot, a little less than half way up the pot. Heat over medium-high heat to about 360ºF. 5. Remove the calamari from the buttermilk. Dip each piece into the flour mixture and fry in batches until golden and crispy, about 4 minutes. 6. Place fried calamari on a plate with paper towel to remove excess oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired. 7. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. 8. Add the tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 9. Serve fried calamari with dipping sauce and lemon wedges.

Steps:

• Pour enough oil into a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches. Heat over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Mix the flour, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Working in small batches, toss the squid into the flour mixture to coat. Carefully add the squid to the oil and fry until crisp and very pale golden, about 1 minute per batch. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the fried calamari to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
• Place the fried calamari and lemon wedges on a clean plate. Sprinkle with salt. Serve with the marinara sauce.
• In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
• Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
• If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.