Calamari Fritti (or Crispy Fried Calamari)

Tenderise the Squid Rings

1. Start with preparing the squid unless you already bought calamari rings. Cut the cleaned tubes into 2 cm (¾ ") thick rings.
2. Place them in a bowl along with the tentacles, and sprinkle on the salt, sugar and bicarbonate of soda. Rub the rings for a few minutes, until they start softening and form bubbles.
3. Pour the soda water (or milk) on the calamari rings and tentacles, making sure they all are covered nicely.
4. Cover the bowl with cling film or a lid and marinate for a minimum of an hour, ideally overnight refrigerated.

Coat the Calamari Rings With Flour

1. Mix the flour, salt and freshly ground pepper in a bowl and set it aside.
2. Place the tenderised calamari rings on a colander to drain the excess liquid.
3. Toss a few calamari rings in the flour mixture until they are all nicely covered, and then transfer them to a colander. Repeat until all the calamari is coated in the flour mixture.

Fry and Serve

1. Fill a small saucepan or a medium-size frying pan with vegetable, rapeseed or sunflower oil and heat it to 180° C (350° F). You can use a cooking thermometer or test it by dropping one calamari ring. To test, drop just one calamari ring in the oil, lots of gentle bubbles should form around it immediately and the calamari and bubbles begin to float to the top.
2. Fry the squid rings in batches (about eight at a time) for two minutes or until slightly golden brown.
3. To remove excess oil, prepare a tray, place a wire rack on it, and then cover the rack with a paper towel. As the calamari cook, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the prepared wire rack. You can use the preheated oven to 100 °C (212 °F) to keep the rings warm while the rest is frying.
4. Repeat until you are finished with all the rings and serve immediately with lemon wedges and a dipping sauce of your choice.