Making Bocadillo de Calamares

The house management team took a momentary leave of absence and so the Sister and I are left to fend for ourselves against hunger pangs - which really isn’t that much trouble at all, to be honest. She took the blender out, pour in about 1/4 jug of skim milk and added 4 scoops of the strawberry cheesecake ice cream that I made (recipe to come) while I made these. We didn’t finish cooking (if you can call it that) at the same time, but it was pretty close. It really is that quick to make.

BOCADILLO DE CALAMARES:

[ 4 tablespoon plain flour + 4 tablespoon cornflour + 300g squid, cleaned and cut into rings + salt & pepper to taste + parsley flakes + oil , for frying ]

Slice open the rolls and lay them open on a baking sheet and lightly toast.

You can get the squids cleaned at the supermarket, but if you wish to try for yourself, then follow these steps to clean them:

Holding the body firmly, grasp the head and pull gently, twisting if necessary, to pull the head away from the body without breaking the ink sac. The internal body and tentacles will come with it.
Cut the tentacles from the head just above the eyes. At the center of the tentacles is a small beak. Squeeze to remove and discard.
Set aside the the tentacles to use (they’re edible and tasty). If the recipe calls for ink, reserve it, otherwise discard the head and ink sac.
At the top of the body, there is a clear piece of cartilage. Pull it out and discard.
Under cold running water, wash the tube carefully, inside and out, to get rid of any sand or other remaining tissues, and wash the tentacles carefully as well.

With a sharp knife, cut the squid bodies into 1-inch rings.

Heat 2 cups of oil in a deep pot over medium heat until it reaches 325ºF on a candy thermometer.

Put the flour in a large mixing bowl and season with salt, pepper and put in the parsley flakes.

Add the squid rings and tentacles and coat with the flour. Drop the floured squid into a mesh strainer or colander and shake gently to knock off any excess flour.

Working in batches, fry the squid in the hot oil until golden, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon and drain.

Allow the oil to return to 325ºF between each batch.

Spread ½ tablespoon of allioli (mayonnaise and garlic with a squeeze of lemon) on each side of the toasted rolls. Fill each roll with fried squid and serve immediately.

BOCADILLO DE CALAMARES:

[4 tablespoon plain flour + 4 tablespoon cornflour + 300g squid, cleaned and cut into rings + salt & pepper to taste + parsley flakes + oil , for frying ]

Slice open the rolls and lay them open on a baking sheet and lightly toast.

You can get the squids cleaned at the supermarket, but if you wish to try for yourself, then follow these steps to clean them:

Holding the body firmly, grasp the head and pull gently, twisting if necessary, to pull the head away from the body without breaking the ink sac. The internal body and tentacles will come with it.
Cut the tentacles from the head just above the eyes. At the center of the tentacles is a small beak. Squeeze to remove and discard.
Set aside the the tentacles to use (they’re edible and tasty). If the recipe calls for ink, reserve it, otherwise discard the head and ink sac.
At the top of the body, there is a clear piece of cartilage. Pull it out and discard.
Under cold running water, wash the tube carefully, inside and out, to get rid of any sand or other remaining tissues, and wash the tentacles carefully as well.

With a sharp knife, cut the squid bodies into 1-inch rings.

Heat 2 cups of oil in a deep pot over medium heat until it reaches 325ºF on a candy thermometer.

Put the flour in a large mixing bowl and season with salt, pepper and put in the parsley flakes.

Add the squid rings and tentacles and coat with the flour. Drop the floured squid into a mesh strainer or colander and shake gently to knock off any excess flour.

Working in batches, fry the squid in the hot oil until golden, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon and drain.

Allow the oil to return to 325ºF between each batch.

Spread ½ tablespoon of allioli (mayonnaise and garlic with a squeeze of lemon) on each side of the toasted rolls. Fill each roll with fried squid and serve immediately.