serves
4
cook
1 hour
serves
4
people
cooking
1
hour
Ingredients
1kg calamari
Cumin flour
400g plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cumin seed, lightly roasted and ground
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoons ground white pepper
Cumin salt
1 part cumin seed
1 part salt
Almond skordalia
200g blanched almonds
45g whole garlic cloves
4 egg yolks
110ml lemon juice
100ml water
salt and white pepper, to taste
2 cups olive oil
200g breadcrumbs, crusts removed and processed
Instructions
To make cumin salt, lightly roast cumin seeds and grind finely. Sieve to remove bits of husk. Add to salt and heat gently in a pan to release the flavour. Cool then store in airtight container.
To make almond skordalia, process almonds and garlic until paste-like. Add yolks, juice and water. Mix. Add oil gradually then remove from food processor. Stir in breadcrumbs and season. Add additional lemon juice and water to taste.
To prepare calamari, clean bodies and tentacles and score bodies on the angle almost all the way through, then slice into 2cm long strips. Cut tentacles up and mix all together. Alternatively, just cut into sizes that you like or ask your fishmonger to prepare them for you.
Place handfuls of calamari into cumin flour and dust off excess flour. Place into deep fryer at 185°C for 1 minute or until golden brown and place in bowl with absorbent paper to get rid of any excess oil and season with cumin salt. Place on plate with a lemon wedge and almond skordalia in a ramekin.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
