Spicy Lime Calamari- Easy Calamari Recipe
I know a lot of peopleĀ thinkĀ they’re not crazy about calamari but many of my own friends who believed this were blown away when I introduced them to my Spicy Lime Calamari dish. Creating a delicious and non-rubbery calamari is all about knowing the exact amount of time to cook the ingredients. An homage to all those fantastic seafood dishes I have always had while traveling through Thailand, this easy calamari recipe takes simple ingredients and just a few minutes to make.

Serves 2 as main course served over rice or 4-6 as side dish

Ingredients
1 lb (~500 grams) calamari, cleaned and sliced into bite sized chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1 small handful parsley, finely chopped
1 small handful cilantro, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Grated lime peel of 1 whole lime
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 tablespoon ground chili peppers (adjust to personal taste)

Method

Heat a wok or large skillet on high heat until just barely smoking. Add the olive oil and garlic, stir-frying for just a minute.

Toss in the calamari and stir-fry for another 2 minutes or so. Remember that calamari cooks very rapidly so you don’t want to overcook this. I use a gas fire stove and 2 minutes was sufficient. If you use electric stove, you may need to cook it for an extra minute or so. The calamari is done when pinched between your fingers, it feels tender (not slimy) but not rubbery.

Place the calamari into a large mixing bowl. Cool for 2 to 3 minutes before adding all the other ingredients and mixing together thoroughly. Serve immediately over rice or quinoa, or toss together with lettuce for a light salad.

***Pictured above, I used calamari that was already scored from the seafood store. Depending on your grocery store, you can find calamari whole, sliced into rings or scored like in my dish above. Any of them is fine. If you purchase whole calamari, you will have to clean the insides and slice it up or score it yourself.

See other Fish & Seafood Recipes