Baked calamari with crunchy crumbs are one of those quick recipes that often save your dinner or appetizer.
Quick to make and with very few added ingredients that we all have in the pantry and fridge, like parsley, oil, and little else.
It’s a recipe that I still keep in my famous paper agenda, when recipes were written on flying sheets or notebooks, and it was prepared during an episode of a cooking show.
Very tasty despite being simple, the cooking takes place in two stages: first a light browning in the pan and then the final cooking in the oven, to create the crunchy crust that we love so much.
The only secret for the excellent success of the recipe is not to overcook the calamari in the first phase, otherwise they become tough.
If desired, they can also be prepared in an air fryer and we’ll see how later.
OTHER INTERESTING RECIPES:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2People
- Cooking methods: Stove, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1.3 lbs calamari
- 4 slices whole wheat bread (or regular dry bread)
- parsley
- extra virgin olive oil
- garlic powder (or fresh to taste)
- breadcrumbs
Tools
- Chopper
Steps
Gut and skin the calamari; remove the eye and, after rinsing them, cut them into rings. Set aside.
In the chopper’s container, put the slices of dry bread or whole wheat bread (always dry), the garlic powder or fresh, and a tuft of parsley.
Pulse until you get a not-too-fine chopping.
Heat the oil in a pan with a little garlic (if you like) and quickly brown the calamari; they should just take on color. Season with salt.
Pour the chopping over the calamari; stir and turn off the heat.
Transfer everything to an ovenproof dish, sprinkle with some breadcrumbs, and bake under the oven grill until golden brown. Be careful not to burn them. Serve.
Notes:
If desired, you can avoid the double cooking, season the calamari with the aromatic chopping and cook with a drizzle of oil in an air fryer for 8/10 minutes at 356°F. Be careful with the cooking because they need to be crispy on the outside but tender.
