Gluten-Free Calamari with Dairy-Free Tzatziki
Nutrivore Score: 545
Ingredients
For the Tzatziki
- 1/2 cup yogurt (use coconut for dairy free)
- 3 tablespoons dill chopped fresh
- 1/2 cup cucumber minced
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh
For the Calamari
- 1 pound squid tubes and tentacles
- 1/2 cup tapioca starch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- lemon wedges for optional garnish
- high smoke point oil of choice for frying (avocado oil, vegetable oil, etc,)
Instructions
For the Tzatziki
- Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to thoroughly combine. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
For the Calamari
- Heat the oil to 360F in a countertop deep-fryer or a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat with a deep-fry thermometer attached to the side. Use enough lard to fill your deep-fryer to the fill line or to have 2 inches in the bottom of your pot.
- Pat the squid dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. If the tubes are whole cut into 1/2-inch-wide rounds.
- Mix together the tapioca and salt in a shallow bowl. Dust the squid pieces with the tapioca and salt mixture, shaking off the excess, and carefully drop them into the hot lard, cooking in batches and being careful not to overcrowd.
- Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown and crisp on the outside. Drain on paper towels or newspaper.
- Serve with lemon wedges and tzatziki sauce.
Notes
Tapioca starch doesn't stick to the squid as well as traditional batters. While you can't tell from eating the finished product, there will be a lot of tapioca crumbs in your deep-fryer when you're done. Filter them out by pouring your fat though a paper towel-lined sieve. Deep-frying seafood can leave a slightly fish flavor to your fat. Use separate fat fo deep-fry seafood versus vegetables.