Fish

Calamari

A tier

Calamari is the culinary name—borrowed from Italian—for squid prepared for the table, especially tender rings and scored bodies destined for frying, grilling, or slow Mediterranean stews. In markets the word can mean any cleaned squid sold for cookery, not a single biological species, though European and Pacific loliginids are common. Texture and freshness matter more than the label. Classic calamari fritti wants a light coating, hot oil, and a minute or less in the fryer. Grilled calamari needs scoring and fierce heat. Tomato-wine braises convert larger, firmer squid into spoon-tender ragoûts. Whatever the method, avoid the medium cook that toughens the protein—go fast or go long.