Take dinner time deep down under the sea with these ink-hued dishes. Start with crispy fried calamari dredged in an activated charcoal batter and served with a garlicky squid ink aioli. Then for the main course, it’s homemade squid ink fettuccine in a white wine sauce with plenty of mussels. Finish with a no-bake activated charcoal cheesecake studded with black sesame seeds. The food may be dark, but the flavors are anything but!

Quick Info

⏱️ 55 min • 🍽️ 4 servings • ⭐ 31%

Tags

[Dairy-Free] • [Appetizers] • [Dinner] • [Pescatarian] • [Under 1 Hour]

Ingredients

• ¾ pound calamari rings and tentacles
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons food-grade activated charcoal
• ¼ cup black sesame seeds
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon squid ink
• 6 cups vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
• 4 lemon wedges, for serving
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• 1½ teaspoons squid ink
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• Black sesame seeds, for topping

Instructions Preview

1. Make the calamari: In a large bowl, toss t…
2. While the calamari tenderizes, make the ai…
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour,…

…and 6 more steps

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Recipe by: Chris Rosa, Andrew Pollock • From: Tasty