Calamari is an easy and fast seafood choice to prepare, and not only that, but its delicious taste makes it a popular choice in restaurants all over the world. You can buy calamari whole or portioned in rings. But, now you might wonder what to eat with calamari.
Besides its tender and tasty meat, the best thing about this squid is that you can prepare it in several ways. Calamari can be grilled, fried, braised, seared, boiled, and raw.
You can pair it with many foods, whichever way you prepare calamari. So, let’s dive in and see what to serve with calamari!
What to Eat with Calamari?
Calamari is popular worldwide as a fairly inexpensive, flavorful, and easily prepared seafood choice. The term “calamari” is the Italian word for squid, which has become widely used to refer to any type of squid.
While, as we mentioned, there are different ways to prepare calamari, the most popular is deep-frying the squid. If you are more health-conscious, you may try grilling or broiling calamari.
You may even serve it raw (sashimi) as long as you prepare it correctly. But, we cannot have you eating calamari without a delectable side dish to enhance its flavor. Luckily, we’ve got plenty of ideas. Some of the best dishes to eat with calamari are the following:
- Chips or mashed potatoes or potato salad
- Lemon wedges
- Chargrilled vegetables
- Risotto
- Fresh salads
- Hawaiian salad with goat cheese
Before you decide on how to serve calamari, we have to point out that purchasing calamari from a reliable source is the most important thing.
With KnowSeafood, you may rest assured that each seafood or fish you purchase is sustainably caught and from reliable sources. Plus, with our home seafood delivery, you can order your calamari online and wait for it to arrive at your address. You may need to wait a day or two, depending on where you live, for the order to arrive at your home.
Chips, Mashed Potatoes, or Potato Salad
If you wonder how to serve fried calamari, you can never go wrong with potatoes. After all, they are the perfect companion to every type of fried food, and calamari is no exception.
Chips are a classic choice for an extra crunch with your crunchy deep-fried calamari rings. Paired with your favorite dipping sauce, this delicious combo can awaken your taste buds.
If you want something with a creamier texture to pair with the crunchiness of the fried calamari, try mashed potatoes or a creamy potato salad. Really, any type of potato you serve with fried calamari will pair great with it.
Lemon Wedges
The zesty juice of lemon is an excellent way to bring freshness and enhance the flavor of seafood. This makes them the perfect partner for your calamari. With their zestiness, the lemon wedges are a great combination with the sweetness of the squid’s meat.
Chargrilled Vegetables
This is a simple way to prepare your veggies and still achieve a delicious flavor. Chargrilling allows you to enhance the flavors and texture of any vegetable while still being a healthy choice that even picky eaters may enjoy.
If you want the added crunchiness that chips provide without carbs, try chargrilled veggies.
Risotto
Preparing creamy risotto to accompany your calamari is an excellent way if you want a hearty meal during the colder days of the year. Besides a creamy risotto being an excellent comfort dish on gloomy days, you can also prepare it in several different ways.
You may try tomato and mascarpone or green vegetable risotto to incorporate veggies into your meal. Also, if you like mushrooms, make yourself a tasty wild mushroom risotto.
You may even try making squid ink risotto. This involves cooking the risotto in a sauce made from the squid’s ink.
You’ll be able to incorporate every part of the squid with this delicious risotto. Plus, with ingredients like tomato sauce and garlic, you bring the taste of the Mediterranean to your dining table.
Fresh Salads
Another way to achieve Mediterranean flavors during the breezy summer days requires serving the calamari with tasty and light tomato and onion salad. You only need to slice up some tomatoes and onions for this fresh salad.
After that, cover them in a dressing made from olive oil and red wine vinegar and sprinkle in your favorite herbs.
If you want to prepare a spicier calamari, incorporate a green salad to offset the spiciness. For a green salad, you may mix lettuce, cucumber, radish, and some herbs and cover them with yogurt lemon dressing.
Hawaiian Salad with Goat Cheese
Instead of going with a Mediterranean taste, you may switch it up and bring tropical flavors to your calamari dish. An excellent tropical salad is a Hawaiian one with goat cheese or feta.
You may include various greens, roasted beets, and pineapple in a Hawaiian salad with goat cheese. If goat cheese is not a flavor you enjoy, you may substitute it for a feta.
What Sauce Do You Serve with Calamari?
There are plenty of sauces you may use to serve with calamari, including the following:
- Aioli– an aioli sauce is a great way to try something new with your calamari. Plus, there are several ways to make aioli sauces, including garlic and olive oil, sriracha, lemon dill, etc.
- Salsa– this is an excellent choice if you want a dairy-free sauce. Also, the heat and freshness of salsa pair great with the calamari.
- Sweet chilli sauce– an excellent choice for fried calamari. The sweetness of the chili sauce should balance out the saltiness of the fried calamari.
- Tartar sauce– tartar is a classic sauce that is delicious with calamari. The capers, pickles, herbs, and lemon juice in tartar sauce make it an excellent combo for fish.
Conclusion
If you need suggestions about what to eat with calamari, try some of our suggestions above. With these combinations, you will enjoy a great mix of flavors with your delicious calamari, whether you go for a potato dish, salad, or a dipping sauce.
