Fried Calamari Salad with Caperberries and Lemon Aioli
Crispy Fried Calamari Salad with Caperberries and Lemon Aioli Recipe, pure salad heaven!
Looking back on my life, I’m thankful for the painful seasons.
Often we hope and pray for smooth sailing… For health, wealth, and loving relationships. We claim to be teachable in the good times, but it’s the harrowing moments that force us to stare our character in the face and make adjustments.
Experience: That most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn. ~C.S. Lewis
My husband and I would agree, that it’s the lean times that have taught us to be wise with our money. It’s the moments when it seems the fire is gone, that have taught us to prioritize our marriage. It’s the behavioral issues with our children that have taught us to be patient, but firm.
The good times are fun and easy… But that’s it.
I’m not wishing for doom and gloom to come upon my life so that I can continue learning. I’m just pointing out, the rough times are worthwhile. Tests will either break you, or draw out your creativity, resolve, and resourcefulness.
Have you ever noticed that people who have floated through life have no problem solving skills whatsoever?
When the rains finally come, they are completely washed away by their troubles. On the other hand, those who have been through a lot in life, are poised to attack the problem and gain understanding for the next battle.
If you think about it, most millionaires, noble prize winners, and historic world-changers could tell you story after story of their failures. Yet they pressed on.
The same rules apply in the kitchen. Of course, we don’t want our steak to burn or souffles to collapse. But when they do, we assess, correct, and come away a stronger cook. This is no time to throw up our hands and choose to avoid the kitchen. Cooking can be a battle, but it’s worth the fight!
I have two goals in presenting this Fried Calamari Salad with Caperberries and Lemon Aioli Recipe today. First, to offer you a lovely meal that is perfect for a main course or first-course. Second, I want to address some common cooking issues that I’ve had to learn through trail and error over the years.
What do I do if my aioli is runny?
I’ve had this happen on several occasions. Watery aioli is caused by one of two things: Either the egg yolks were cold, or you added the oil too fast for the aioli to emulsify.
This is easy to fix. First, nip the issue in the bud by starting your ailoi with room-temperature egg yolks. Then puree/beat/whisk them into a frenzy before ever adding the oil. I usually puree the egg yolks in the food processor for 1-2 minutes, before moving on. If you tried this and you still have runny aioli, pour the aioli into a bowl. Add one more egg yolk to the processor and whip the fire out of it! Then slowly pour your original aioli back into the food processor. Your aioli should firm up quickly.
How can I keep my greens and herbs from getting bruised edges when I cut them?
This is a common problem. You cut basil into lovely green julienne strips, and the next thing you know, all the edges are black!
This can’t be completely avoided for some preparations, but the general rule is that your greens will bruise less and hold up longer if you hand-tear them. When you tear them, you aren’t applying any pressure on the line of division, so there’s less damage. When you must slice your greens, you could add a little lemon juice to guard against bruising, if it doesn’t contradict the flavors in the dish.
Why aren’t my fried foods crispy?
Nothing is worse than soggy fried calamari. Oil temperature and cornstarch make a huge difference it texture. If your oil isn’t heated to the proper temperature, you’ll either burn the breading before the interior is cook through, or overcook the calamari. Both result in textural issues. A good standard temperature for frying is 375 degrees F. It’s worth buying a thermometer to make sure you’ve got the temperature right. Also make sure that you bring the temperature back up in between batches.
Cornstarch. All I can say is that cornstarch and frying were meant to be. Batter or breading with cornstarch in it tends to have a superior crunch factor, over those with just flour or cornmeal. Give it a try.
Why is my calamari rubbery?
This is always due to overcooking. Always. Calamari cooks in a flash, so don’t be afraid to pull them out in a hurry.
I hope my past errors bring you some success!
This Fried Calamari Salad with Caperberries and Lemon Aioli is vibrant, crisp, and slightly indulgent.
The crunchy coating on the calamari works well with the silky texture of the aioli, and both provide a sumptuous quality to an otherwise light dish. The caperberries offer a sharp bite that complements the rich ailoi.
Enjoy!
Fried Calamari Salad with Caperberries and Lemon Aioli
Ingredients
For the Calamari:
- 1 1/2 pounds calamari
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cornmeal
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Oil for frying
For the Aioli:
For the Salad:
- 2 bunches watercress
- 1 bunch basil leaves
- 1/2 small red onion, sliced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 7 ounce jar caperberries, drained
Instructions
- Heat a large pot with 1-2 quarts of oil to 375 degrees F. Slice the calamari tubes into 1/2-inch rings, and trim the tentacles if needed.
- Mix the cornstarch, flour, cornmeal, salt, garlic powder, cayenne, and pepper in a pan. Pat the calamari rings dry, then dredge them in the flour mixture.
- Shake off the excess flour, then working in batches gently place the calamari down in the oil. Stir so the calamari will separate. Cook for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, until the breading in light golden brown. Remove with a skimmer and place on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the rest. Keep warm in a 200 degree oven if not eating immediately.
For the Aioli:
- Place the egg yolks, garlic, and cayenne in a food processor. Puree until lighter in color and texture, 1-2 minutes. Keep the food processor running, and very slowly drizzle in the oil until the aioli thickens. Blend in the lemon zest, and half the juice. Taste, then season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice if needed. Set aside.
For the Salad:
- Tear the watercress off the stems and the basil leaves into large pieces. Arrange the greens on plates. Top with halved cherry tomatoes, red onions, and caperberries. Place a portion of calamari on the top of each salad and serve with aioli.
VERY helpful! I have yet to make a good aioli and need all the help I can get
What you say is so true! (Though before I assess my kitchen mistakes, I tend to get mad and then cool off … and then come back and assess!) beautiful salad, the colors really draw me in.
Great post Sommer and excellent tips…love your opening statements, so very true! I also love this salad, vibrant and lovely :)
I have always had issues making mayonnaise. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fail. I’ve used a blender, food processor, and tried by hand. By hand was the only time I was really successful believe it or not, but the last time I failed (maybe my egg yolk was too cold). In any case, love your tips!
beautiful pics, great tips, but SUCH a timely post for me. Earlier today I was talking with DH about a trial I went through earlier on that made me much smarter in some areas of my life. Today I said that I would NOT choose that trial even if I never learned the residual stuff, but now you make me rethink that… Worth reflecting upon, so, thanks, Spicy!
Hi Sommer-This is a lovely post and it is all so true! Your calamari look wonderful and I love this salad!
great post, I personally think that rough times in my life have made me the woman I am today…great tips, love the calamari !!
sweetlife
You are so right! And during those bad times, when you think you do not have any more strength, you realize how much you have!
I love calamari in summer :) Thanks for the tips!
Calamari…when did I last have it? That’s about 2 decades ago.;-) Thanks for the tips on how to make the fried food crunchy!
What a beautiful salad! Perfect for the summer days!
It felt like you were talking about my day yesterday..I had my own disaster with muffins :)… and I strongly believe that the blow that doesn’t kill you makes you stronger
that salad looks amazing…looking forward to trying it out
Love this!!!
I am making my own mayo this week, and I can’t wait to turn it into aioli!! Yes, the best lessons are learned through adversity- you have that right on the money!! Just like this calamari!!
What a gorgeous looking salad! Loving the flavor combination, Sommer.
Bravo! :)
Aldy.
Wow, you’re more ambitious than I am. I would be too scared to make my own fried calamari, but yours looks so perfectly delicious!
I was sucked in at first by the caperberries (I have been known to eat them out of the jar), but I wound up loving all of this post. Especially the Q&A bit – great tips, and great way to structure them!
So very true, and in that case, I have outstanding problem solving skills, a master in fact! ;)
I think life has really taught me, no forced me to be more patient, pick my battles and enjoy every single moment.
Thanks for all the cooking tips, especially the cornstarch one! Who knew?!
Ooo this looks really delicious and the salad is so colorful! I’d love to make this up myself :)