Lidia's Steamed Calamari

Name: Lidia's Steamed Calamari
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3-4 serving(s)
Ingredients: 2 lbs cleaned uncut calamari; 1 lemon; 2 fresh bay leaves; 3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt (to taste) or 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste); 5 tablespoons best-quality extra virgin olive oil (or more); 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from lemon used above); 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (to taste); 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Submitted by Anita de la Costa

"I saw this recipe on Lidia's Italy and could not wait to try it. I finally tracked it down on the serious eats web site and thought I would bring it to zaar for everyone to enjoy. This is a great preparation of calamari that is not at all greasy or heavy."

Download

Ready In:: 30mins
Ingredients:: 9
Serves:: 3-4

ingredients

2 lbs cleaned uncut calamari
1 lemon
2 fresh bay leaves
³⁄₄ teaspoon coarse sea salt (to taste) or 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
5 tablespoons best-quality extra virgin olive oil (or more)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from lemon used above)
¹⁄₄ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

directions

Rinse the trimmed tentacles and the body, holding it open under running water to flush the cavity. Slice the cleaned body crosswise, in rings 1/3 inch thick. Drain all the tentacles and rings in the steamer basket colander.
Meanwhile, pour enough water into a steamer or deep pot so that when you set the basket in position it doesn't touch the water.
Shave off the lemon peel (zest layer only) with a vegetable peeler, in short strips. Squeeze the juice of the lemon and reserve. Drop the zest into the water with the bay leaves, cover the pot, and simmer the water for about 1/2 an hour, to infuse it with the aromas of lemon and bay.
Keep the water simmering, and set the steamer basket with all the calamari in it inside the pot. Put on the cover, making sure it fits snugly inside, and steam the calamari gently. After 2 minutes, lift the cover, tumble the calamari over a couple of times in the colander, and sprinkle over it a couple of pinches of salt. Cover and steam another 2 minutes, tumble, and salt again. Repeat after 2 more minutes—you should have used 1/4 teaspoon salt in all. Steam for a total of 8 to 10 minutes.
When the calamari is tender but slightly resilient to the bite, remove the colander, season the pieces with another 1/4 teaspoon salt, mix well, then let them drain and cool for 5 minutes.
Turn the calamari into a bowl while still quite warm. Toss with the olive oil and lemon juice, sprinkle over the remaining salt, the peperoncino, grated orange zest, and parsley, and toss well again. Taste, and adjust the seasonings.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Questions & Replies

Got a question? Share it with the community!

Reviews

Thanks so much for posting. Can't wait to try it. Saw the episode yesterday. Tried to get it from her website but it wasn't there.

Golden Sunflower

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Anita de la Costa

I am a seafood fanatic and am always eager to experiment with new dishes. I love exotic flavors from around the world. I think that seafood pastas are my specialty. I haven't eaten meat for nearly ten years and have therefore developed quite a repertoire of vegetarian and seafood based dishes. I also cook for a meat-loving boyfriend who is open-minded but not entirely on board with what he calls "hippy food", so I love the challenge of creating healthy food that tastes really good. I try to be aware of where and how my ingredients are produced. I try to cook in season but I am especially concerned with the sustainability and purity of the seafood that I use. Check out the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch for regional guides to buying seafood responsibly (see my web sit below). I have many original recipes that I improvise but I am trying to nail down measurements and cooking times in order to publish on zaar.

View Full Profile