I'm a calamari fiend. Love it, love it. Granted, it's difficult to find it prepared decently - usually breaded and terribly over- fried in little rings so crunchy there's little sign of the tender calamari inside...but now and then I'll stumble across calamari done right, such as the incredible huge, battered, light-as-air rings at the long-defunct Chestnut Street Grille at Water Tower Place in Chicago, and the tender strips, not rings, at Jay's Seafood in Dayton, Ohio.
Monterey, California is the calamari fishing capital of the world. I've not been lucky enough to make it to the annual Memorial Day weekend's 'Great Monterey Squid Festival' where men, women and children pour into the grassy, sun-dappled Monterey County Fairgrounds at 10 a.m. each day to breakfast, lunch, dine and snack on two tons of squid prepared in infinite variations. But I have sampled plenty in the Monterey area, where there are fried calamari stands in every park, pier and street corner. I still revel in the memory of an enormous calamari steak at a floating restaurant on Monterey Bay.
Direct from the pages of RR magazine, this is version is very simple and quite divine. It's a family recipe from an editor at the magazine, traditionally served on Christmas Eve. Cleaned, frozen calamari is extremely inexpensive and readily available. And, I love that despite being baked, not fried, it is just as crunchy.
Ingredients: 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 3/4 cup sliced almonds with skins; 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 1 tablespoon anchovy paste; 1 1/2 pounds small, cleaned squid—bodies cut into 1/3-inch rings, tentacles halved, patted dry; Salt and pepper; 2 1/4 cups seasoned bread crumbs; 1/2 pound angel hair pasta; 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley; lemon wedges, for serving
Preheat the oven to 500°. Line 2 large baking sheets with foil and grease each with 1 tablespoon olive oil. In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring, until toasted, about 3 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the garlic to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the anchovy paste and cook for 1 minute.
In a medium bowl, toss the squid with 4 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Pour the breadcrumbs into a large bowl. Working with a handful at a time, coat the squid in the breadcrumbs, opening up the rings to cover well. Spread the squid in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil on top. Bake until golden and crunchy, 12 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Have your pasta water boiling when you put the calamari in the oven.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, about 2 minutes; drain, reserving 2 cups of the pasta water.
Stir the reserved pasta water into the anchovy mixture and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, turning with tongs, to heat through. Add the almonds and parsley, toss well and transfer to a large bowl. Surround the pasta with the squid and lemon wedges for squeezing.
Be nice and share.
