Polenta crusted calamari

 Sunday's have somehow become seafood day.  The combination of a very-full time work week plus some study on top typically means that the only food purchasing available to me during the week is either Coles or Woolworths (which I detest, both ideologically and practically as their fresh food is rubbish).  So weekends is the only time I can get to a decent green grocer, butcher and fishmonger.  And since I don't like freezing seafood I often mind myself cooking it on a Sunday night.  Last week it was salmon steak with brussel sprouts and quinoa salad (don't even get me started.  I'll post the sprouts sometime, I promise.  They were killer.)

But this week it's calamari.  Did you know that calamari is one of the most sustainable types of seafood you can eat?  Seriously, check this out.  And what better way to eat it than super crispy with my two favourite flavours: Salt and Pepper.  It takes 10 mins from start to finish and is almost completely healthy if you overlook the frying bit, and eat it with salad.

Ingredients:

• Fresh, local calamari rings
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup polenta
• Lots and lot of salt and pepper
• Oil for frying

 

Rinse the calamari and shake off the excess water.  Prepare your flour, and polenta on plates for coating and your milk in a bowl for dipping.  Add salt and pepper to the polenta mix, as much as you'd like.  I prefer to use LOTS.  In fact, I have a ready made mix of cracked black pepper, szechuan pepper crushed in the mortar and pestle, and sea salt for just such occasions.

 

 

 

So get your calamari ready as follows: Flour. Milk. Polenta. Flour. Milk. Polenta.  Just like that, until you've coated them all.  Then heat about an inch of your oil in a pan.

Once it's hot, fry your rings for a minute or two, but no longer! If you over cook them, they become tough and chewy and you don't want that.  Drain them on a paper towel.

 

While the calamari are frying, whip up a quick green salad.  Mine had cos lettuce, cucumber, and two kinds of tomatoes.

Place the calamari on top of the salad and squeeze lemon juice over the lot. Done.