Hot appetizers · The home kitchen
Calamari & a Twist
Crisp calamari gets a bright mezze-inspired finish from zaatar, sumac and lemon. A light flour-and-cornstarch coating lets the squid remain the focus, and small frying batches help preserve the delicate crust. Serve it promptly while the contrast between the tender center and crisp surface is at its best. This is an original home-style interpretation inspired by the menu’s ingredients, rather than Beiruty’s restaurant formula. Quantities are written for a domestic kitchen so you can prepare the dish confidently and adjust the final seasoning to your own taste. The independent recipe linked below provides another cook’s perspective and useful background for exploring this style of food at home.
A home-style recipe inspired by our menu. Restaurant preparation, portions and ingredients may differ.
Make it at home
Calamari & a Twist recipe
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Rest / chill
- 20 min
- Total
- 60 min
Ingredients
- 500 g cleaned squid, tubes sliced into 1 cm rings and tentacles separated
- 200 ml milk
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 50 g cornstarch
- 1 tbsp zaatar
- 1 tsp sumac
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 1 litre neutral oil for frying
Method
Refrigerate squid in milk for 20 minutes. Combine flour, cornstarch, zaatar, sumac, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.
Drain squid well. Heat oil 5 cm deep in a heavy saucepan to 190°C/375°F.
Toss a small batch of squid in the flour mixture, shake off excess and fry 1 1/2–2 minutes until lightly golden and squid reaches 63°C/145°F. Return oil to temperature between batches.
Drain on a rack and serve immediately with lemon.
Make it your own.
- Do not crowd the pot; temperature drops make the coating greasy.
- Pat squid lightly after draining if the coating becomes gummy.