In college, I worked at a seafood restaurant called The River Lane. Their signature dish was a Parmesan crusted calamari filet with lemon butter sauce. I used to have it for dinner all the time when I was working. Unfortunately, the owner retired a few years ago and the restaurant closed. I missed this appetizer so much, and I would occasionally mention it to my family that I wish I could have this dish again soon. My mom's friend finally pried the recipe out of the head chef from the restaurant recently and gave me an envelope with the recipe for Christmas. I made this Christmas Eve for the family and the Parmesan crust tastes exactly as I remember!
Ingredients:
6 Calamari steaks (thawed, drained, and blotted dry)
3/4 cup flour
2 eggs
1/4 whole milk
1 1/2 cups Sartori Parmesan, grated
2 sticks salted butter
Lemon Butter Sauce:
2 sticks salted butter
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup white wine
Preparation:
1. Make the lemon butter sauce. In a skillet, combine the shallot, white wine, and vinegar over medium heat. Cook until volume is reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Let pan cool slightly. Drain half of the liquid.
2. Add butter, 1/2 stick at a time. Pour into separate bowl to let sauce emulsify and come to room temperature.
3. While sauce is solidifying, clarify 2 sticks of salted butter and set aside.
4. Mix eggs and milk in a flat bowl, lightly scrambling the eggs. Prepare flour and Parmesan cheese is separate flat, shallow bowls.
5. Bread calamari in flour, then egg wash, then Parmesan cheese. Bread all filets before starting to cook.
6. Heat clarified butter in a deep wide skillet. Butter should be hot, but not quite boiling.
7. Fry breaded calamari filets in clarified butter, flipping once.
8. Serve warm with lemon butter sauce and a wedge of lemon.
Ingredients:
6 Calamari steaks (thawed, drained, and blotted dry)
3/4 cup flour
2 eggs
1/4 whole milk
1 1/2 cups Sartori Parmesan, grated
2 sticks salted butter
Lemon Butter Sauce:
2 sticks salted butter
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup white wine
Preparation:
1. Make the lemon butter sauce. In a skillet, combine the shallot, white wine, and vinegar over medium heat. Cook until volume is reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Let pan cool slightly. Drain half of the liquid.
2. Add butter, 1/2 stick at a time. Pour into separate bowl to let sauce emulsify and come to room temperature.
3. While sauce is solidifying, clarify 2 sticks of salted butter and set aside.
4. Mix eggs and milk in a flat bowl, lightly scrambling the eggs. Prepare flour and Parmesan cheese is separate flat, shallow bowls.
5. Bread calamari in flour, then egg wash, then Parmesan cheese. Bread all filets before starting to cook.
6. Heat clarified butter in a deep wide skillet. Butter should be hot, but not quite boiling.
7. Fry breaded calamari filets in clarified butter, flipping once.
8. Serve warm with lemon butter sauce and a wedge of lemon.