El Farol Fried Calamari

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs calamari (fresh or frozen,cleaned )
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 quarts vegetable oil (for frying)
• 2 cups rice flour
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 2 cups panko Japanese-style bread crumbs

Lemon-Caper Aioli

• 1 3/4 cups mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons capers (reserve 1 tablespoon pickling liquid, from the jar caper)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• cracked black pepper
• 1 lemon, juice of
• 1/2 white onion, diced

Romesco Sauce

• 1 cup marcona almonds, toasted
• 10 garlic cloves
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
• 2-3 dried chile pequins
• 2 cups charred peeled and chopped roasted red peppers
• salt

Directions

1. 1

   Cut the calamari bodies into 1/4 inch rings and remove the tentacles. Put rings and tentacles in the milk and stir in the parsley. Allow to marinate for 2 to 3 hours in the refrigerator.

2. 2

   Heat the oil to about 350 degrees or until a cube of bread turns golden brown in about 12 seconds when placed in hot oil. Remove calamari from milk and discard the milk. Toss calamari with the rice flour until well-coated; transfer to a bowl and toss with the eggs until well-coated. Sprinkle with a little bit of the salt and all of the black pepper. Transfer to another bowl and toss with the bread crumbs until well coated and dry enough to separate each piece. Add more bread crumbs if needed.

3. 3

   Fry in batches in hot oil 20 to 30 seconds or until light brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon. Do not overcook. Transfer to paper towels and sprinkle with kosher salt. Serve with Lemon-Caper Aioli and Romesco Sauce for dipping (recipes follow); garnish with wedges of lime.

4. 4

   Lemon-Caper Aioli: makes 2 cups.

5. 5

   Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend well. Lemon-Caper Aioli keeps for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, when kept in a jar with a tight lid.

6. 6

   Romesco sauce:makes 4 cups, can be used with anything.

7. 7

   Char the red bell peppers over an open flame, on a gas or charcoal grill, or in an oven broiler until the peppers are blackened on all sides. Remove most of the skin and seeds from the peppers.

8. 8

   In a blender or food processor, purée the almonds, garlic, oil, vinegar, and chiles until smooth. Add peppers, replace the top, and pulse until the sauce is just a bit chunky. Salt to taste. This sauce will keep for 4 to 5 days if refrigerated.