The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Calamari recipe adapted for Dutch oven
J. Alexander’s uses Cajun seasoning in breading.
J. Alexander’s,
4701 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Atlanta. 770-512-0153, jalexanders.com.
There is a restaurant in Dunwoody that I go to often with my parents on Sundays called J. Alexander’s. They have a Calamari with Marinara Sauce appetizer, and it is phenomenal! Each time we eat there together we get that appetizer before our meal. I would love to get the recipe! — Lauren Mccall, Lawrenceville
J. Alexander’s corporate executive chef James Filaroski provided the recipe for this fun appetizer.
He suggests you serve it with homemade marinara sauce or your favorite store-bought brand.
At the restaurant, the calamari is prepared in a deep fryer. We adapted the recipe to use a Dutch oven instead. Once you assemble the batter and the breading, the rest of the process moves quickly.
And keep these batter and breading recipes on hand when you want to fry other varieties of seafood.
J. ALEXANDER’S CALAMARI WITH MARINARA SAUCE
Vegetable oil, for frying
1/2 pound calamari tubes, cut into 1/4-inch
rings
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1/4 cup Calamari Batter (see recipe)
1/2 cup Breading (see recipe)
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan, for garnish 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 lemon wedge, for serving
1/2 cup homemade or store-bought
marinara sauce, for serving
1/2 lemon, for garnish
In a Dutch oven, add oil to a depth of at least two inches. Heat to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, toss calamari tubes with Cajun seasoning. Add batter and toss until well-coated.
Put breading in a pie plate. Move calamari from bowl to pie plate and toss until well coated. Shake off excess breading as you move calamari to hot oil. Do not crowd Dutch oven. Cook 45 seconds or until golden and crisp. Drain and keep warm. Continue until all calamari is cooked. Arrange calamari on serving plate and garnish with Parmesan and parsley. Squeeze juice from lemon wedge over calamari. Serve with hot marinara sauce and lemon.
Serves 1.
Per serving: 627 calories (percent of calories from fat, 47), 41 grams protein, 40 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 32 grams total fat (6 grams saturated), 333 milligrams cholesterol, 1,213 milligrams sodium.
CALAMARI BATTER
1 tablespoon self-rising flour 1 tablespoon cornmeal
⅛ teaspoon ground thyme
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
⅛ teaspoon granulated garlic ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons water
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic and cayenne. Whisk in water until well blended.
Makes ¼ cup.
Per teaspoon: 6 calories (percent of calories from fat, 0), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, trace total fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 28 milligrams sodium.
BREADING
1/2 cup self-rising flour
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.
Makes ½ cup.
Per teaspoon: 10 calories (percent of calories from fat, 3), trace protein, 2 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, trace total fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 31 milligrams sodium.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put“from the menu of ” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.