Crispy Calamari

My husband recently bought a kg of frozen calamari. The biggest challenge is to cook it without making it tough. This is what I did.

500g calamari defrosted
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup coarsely ground maize/corn meal
1T freshly chopped lemon thyme
1t celery salt
slat and pepper to taste

Soak the calamari in the buttermilk overnight or for 2 hours in the fridge.

Before cooking place it in a colander and drain off the buttermilk.

Mix the maize meal with the herbs and seasoning and place on a large plate.

Heat vegetable oil in a large pot. You only need enough to fry the calamari.

Coat the calamari in the maize meal. Place one piece in the oil to check if it is hot enough. Cook until browned, turn and remove placing on a paper towel to drain off the excess oil. It should take about a minute to cook the calamari on both sides. Cooking it for longer will make it tough.

Serve with oven baked chips, homemade tartare sauce and a garden salad