Tuesday 10 March
We had a yen for fried kalamarakia, but the last time we did it
Greek-style, it came out disappointingly limp. This time we decided to follow the
recipe for tempura-battered seafood in New
Joy, and also to take their suggestion that a vegetable can also be
tempura-fried (we are still up to our hips in asparagus, and we like it that
way).
We mixed up a scant cup of cold
seltzer instead of ice water, and a cup of self-rising flour, which made the
perfect amount of batter.
We cranked up the oil to 375º,
prepped a receiving station of criss-crossed wire racks and brown paper bags to
blot up excess oil, and started with the asparagus pieces, salting as each
batch came out. When that was done, it
went into the warming oven, and we fried the squidlets in the same way, rings
first, tentacles last.
The batter didn't stick perfectly
to all pieces, so next time we may take the tip from some expert of dusting everything lightly
with flour before dipping it in batter. It
may be a while until then, though, as this dinner used up the last of our eight bags of frozen squid.
Served with mayonnaise seasoned
with lemon juice and picantissimo
Italian spice blend, it was not very Japanese in spirit; but for taste and
crunch, it beat the Greek recipe by a no-specific-country mile.
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