Calamari Rings w/ Mayo/ Wasabi Dip

                           

Had this  deep fried cephalopod  with my beer last Saturday while everyone else was going  green celebrating St. Patrick's Day. I wasn't in the mood to drown myself in pints of  dark Guinness or Irish whiskey in the local Irish pub nor lather my face with green paint. and party like crazy.

Calamari is a bestseller appetizer and is easy to make. Just cut the squid cross wise into rings, season it with salt and pepper and marinate in your favorite citrus juice. After a while, dredge  the squid into  seasoned flour, dust and deep fry it in oil with the correct temperature. The secret to a good Calamari is to  deep fry it  in the correct oil temperature. Doing this, you will get the perfect crispiness and  attractive  golden brown color.  The oil should be heated up to between 160C and 190C. The deep fried will end up soggy if the oil  is not hot enough. This is where a cooking thermometer comes in handy. An avid cook should have one.

For the sauce,  thoroughly mix some wasabi paste, garlic powder with mayonnaise in a bowl with a drizzle of lemon oil.You can use a small whisk if you want but a spoon will do the trick as well. Since wasabi has a very strong taste, add it gradually until you get the desired taste.