Nothing says Spain like a plate of fried calamari. You will find this incredible tapas dish at just about every single tapas bar and restaurant throughout the entire country. Today I will show you how to make a different stye of fried calamari, they way that they´re served in northern Spain. Fried Spanish Squid ¨Rabas Fritas¨ with Saffron Garlic Aioli.
These ¨rabas fritas¨ have a different shape than the classic clamari rings. They are in the form of a strip and are ususally a bit wider cut than normal fried calamari. This is how they are mostly served in Northern Spain. However, you will find these ¨rabas fritas¨ in just about every corner of Spain as well.
To make these ¨rabas fritas¨ I used some cleaned tubes of squid. These are very popular here in Spain and make things a lot easier. If you can´t find these type of squids in your area, check with a local Asian supermarket. They usually have them in the freezer department.
To take things up a notch I paired these golden fried squid next to a saffron garlic aioli. The secret to making a great saffron aioli is to use some high-quality saffron. As always, I used some saffron threads from Golden Saffron. Their saffron is grade 1 high-quality premium saffron and in my opnion, one of the best saffrons in the market.
Cookware that I use:
Swiss Diamond Chef´s Knife
Swiss Diamond Pans
Wood Cutting Board
Watch the Video Below on How to Make Fried Spanish Squid ¨Rabas Fritas¨ with Saffron Garlic Aioli
Fried Spanish Squid ¨Rabas Fritas¨ with Saffron Garlic Aioli
Ingredients
FOR THE SAFFRON GARLIC AIOLI
- 2 cloves finely minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp saffron threads
- 1 organic egg yolk
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- pinch sea salt
- pinch black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
FOR THE SQUID
- 2 tubes cleaned squid
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- pinch black pepper
- 2 organic eggs
EXTRAS
- 1/2 cup sunflower oil
- 1 lemon
- handful freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
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To make the saffron garlic aioli add 2 minced cloves of garlic into a mortar, pinch in 1/2 tsp of saffron threads and mash together with a pestle until you form a paste, then add 1 organic egg yolk at room temperature, 1 tsp of fresh lemon juice and season with sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper, start mixing everything together in a circular motion and start slowly pouring in about 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil, the secret here is to slowly pour in the olive oil while you continue to mix everything in a circular motion, once you have added all the olive oil and you have achieved a mayonnaise like texture, cover with seran wrap and add to the fridge
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For the next step add 1 cup of all-purpose flour into a bowl, season with 1/2 tsp sea salt and some freshly cracked black pepper, mix the dry ingredients together, in a seperate bowl crack in 2 organic eggs, season with sea salt and whisk together until well combined
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Grab 2 cleaned tubes of squid and rinse them under cold running water, then pat dry with paper towels, cut each tube of squid open and pat dry the inside, cut the tubes of squid into strips that are 3/4¨ wide x 4¨ long
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Heat a small fry pan with a medium-high heat and add 1/2 cup of sunflower oil
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While the oil is heating coat all the squid strips, begin with the flour mixture, then wash them in the egg wash and then back to the flour, do this in batches
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Once the oil get´s very hot start frying the squid strips, fry them in batches to not over-crowd the pan and cook them for about 45 seconds per side, as you finish each batch, transfer to a plate with paper towels
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To plate the dish transfer the saffron garlic aioli to a small bowl and place on a serving dish, add the fried squid to the dish and garnish with a couple lemon wedges & some freshly chopped parsley, enjoy!
Recipe Notes
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