Savor This Seared Baby Squid With Parsley and Garlic (French Calamari) (2024)

  • Recipes By Region
  • American Food
  • American Appetizers

By

Brett Moore

Savor This Seared Baby Squid With Parsley and Garlic (French Calamari) (1)

Brett Moore

Before becoming a food writer, Brett Moore earned a culinary degree and worked as a professional chef.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

Updated on 08/13/21

(70)

Write a Review

Savor This Seared Baby Squid With Parsley and Garlic (French Calamari) (2)

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 2 mins

Total: 17 mins

Servings: 2 servings

70 ratings

Write a Review

Add a comment

This classic French calamari dish is so simple. Sear the squid in a very hot pan with a little olive oil,toss it with parsley and garlic, and finish it with a sprinkle of salt. That's it. Squid is so flavorful that very few additions are needed to create the perfect dish. Quick to make and delicious, these squids are great on their own but also beautiful when served on a salad, on top of a garlic pasta dish, or with a few slices of crusty bread. For our recipe, we recommend using fleur de sel, but if you can't find it at the store, any nice salt will do.

Many abstain from eating squid because of thecleaning process involved—which contrary to common belief is not that difficult—but the good news is that most commercially available squid is already cleaned and ready for cooking. Frozen squid is available in most grocery stores, and as it thaws quickly, there's no need to plan too much ahead of time for your meal. Cleaned and cut squid could cost you a little more per pound, whereas whole, uncleaned squid might save you some money. For best results, always cook the squid either hot and fast or low and slow, as anything in the middle will yield a chewy result.

Ingredients

For Serving:

  • Fleur de sel, or flaky salt, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Savor This Seared Baby Squid With Parsley and Garlic (French Calamari) (3)

  2. Rinse the squid, reserving the tentacles and leaving the bodies whole.

    Savor This Seared Baby Squid With Parsley and Garlic (French Calamari) (4)

  3. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic and parsley and toss to blend. Set aside.

    Savor This Seared Baby Squid With Parsley and Garlic (French Calamari) (5)

  4. In a large skillet over high heat, heat the oil until hot but not smoking. Add the squid and tentacles and sear for 1 minute, tossing for even cooking. Make sure not to overcook as the squid will turn rubbery.

    Savor This Seared Baby Squid With Parsley and Garlic (French Calamari) (6)

  5. With a slotted spoon, transfer the squid and tentacles to the bowl of garlic and parsley and toss to evenly coat.

    Savor This Seared Baby Squid With Parsley and Garlic (French Calamari) (7)

  6. Season with fleur de sel or flaky salt and serve.

    Savor This Seared Baby Squid With Parsley and Garlic (French Calamari) (8)

  7. Enjoy.

What Is Fleur de Sel?

Different than sea salt, fleur de sel is an expensive type of salt, also from seawater, that is collected from the water's surface as it evaporates. The crystals have a pretty flowerlike pattern the salt its name. Traditionally collected by hand in France, Spain, and Portugal, the salt crystals are removed, handled with care, and then left to dry out in the sun before packing them for sale. Due to the amount of labor that entails producing a pound of this salt, fleur the sel is particularly expensive, although extremely flavorful and great to finish dishes that require just the right amount of delicate seasoning—it's not meant to be used for cooking.

Squid and Calamari Cooking Tips

  • American Appetizers
  • Seafood Recipes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
233Calories
15g Fat
6g Carbs
18g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories233
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g19%
Saturated Fat 2g11%
Cholesterol 264mg88%
Sodium 343mg15%
Total Carbohydrate 6g2%
Dietary Fiber 0g1%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 18g
Vitamin C 10mg49%
Calcium 50mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
Potassium 314mg7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

  • seafood
  • appetizer
  • french
  • summer

Rate This Recipe

I don't like this at all.It's not the worst.Sure, this will do.I'm a fan—would recommend.Amazing! I love it!Thanks for your rating!

Savor This Seared Baby Squid With Parsley and Garlic (French Calamari) (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Twana Towne Ret

Last Updated:

Views: 6038

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (44 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Twana Towne Ret

Birthday: 1994-03-19

Address: Apt. 990 97439 Corwin Motorway, Port Eliseoburgh, NM 99144-2618

Phone: +5958753152963

Job: National Specialist

Hobby: Kayaking, Photography, Skydiving, Embroidery, Leather crafting, Orienteering, Cooking

Introduction: My name is Twana Towne Ret, I am a famous, talented, joyous, perfect, powerful, inquisitive, lovely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.