In Rome, but especially on the Lazio’ coast, there is no fish restaurant that does not serve this delicacy.
In Ostia and Fiumicino, there are restaurants that have made their fortune with this recipe.
I don’t like getting my hands dirty, so I clean everything and remove the carapace of the shrimps.

Fried calamari rings and prawns

  • Preparation time: 30 minutes
  • Ingredients for 4-6 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy recipe

  • Ingredients
  • 4 medium-sized squid
  • 20 shrimp
  • Re-milled semolina flour to taste
  • Peanut oil for frying to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • For the batter:
  • 4 oz (100 grams) of rice flour
  • 5 ½ oz (160 grams) of iced-cold sparkling water
  1. Instructions
  2. Clean the calamari and cut them into slices.
  3. Thoroughly clean the shrimp by removing the carapace and casing.
  4. Put the calamari in a plastic bag with a few tablespoons of re-milled semolina flour. Shake the bag well so that the rings and tentacles are completely covered in the flour.
  5. Repeat the procedure with the shrimp, being more careful not to break them.
  6. Sift the squid first and then the shrimp to remove excess flour.
  7. In a frying pan, heat plenty of oil for frying, and bring it to 325°F.
  8. Prepare a very liquid batter with the rice flour and sparkling water, both extremely cold.
  9. Briefly dip the squid and shrimp into the batter, then dip them into the frying pan a few at a time. Fry them for a few minutes, drain them, and place them on absorbent paper to remove the excess oil.
  10. Season with salt and serve hot.

Tips to ensure the success of the dish:

  • Cleaning fresh squid is a simple operation. Rinse the squid well under water. Pull the tentacles away from the body. Slice the head off and discard. Remove the beak from the tentacles. Clean any innards out of the body of the squid, then remove the clear quill.
    If there is a membrane on the outside, remove it, then cut off the large fin on each side of the body. Slice the body into rings.
  • Only a few squid and a few shrimps should be fried at a time so as to not decrease the oil temperature too much.
  • The cold batter in contrast with the boiling oil will tend to splash. Be careful: you risk getting burned and staining your clothes.
  • As it will be fried several times, the batter bowl must be placed in a larger bowl containing ice between one fry and another.