I will give you a recipe for fried calamari that uses not your usual batter for coating squid rings. Its sides turn out really crispy after pan-frying in oil.
salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
Instructions
Defrost squid if necessary (better use fridge for the purpose or running cold water). Clean it and wash thoroughly before using it in the recipe.
Using a knife cut squid into 1 cm wide slices so that you will get rings similar to the ones on the photo. Leave them aside on the paper towels, to get rid of all the excess liquid.
Now, let’s see how you can make easy coating for fried squid. In a deep bowl combine all-purpose flour and baking powder/soda with water. Then, pour oil and add potato starch. Squeeze half of a lemon to the bowl, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Nicely whisk all the ingredients together, make sure that the mixture becomes smooth.
Dip calamari rings in batter. Try not to ski any side that the whole surface will be covered in coating.
Heat oil in a skillet. You can always check whether oil is hot enough by sprinkling some flour in it (oil should start bubbling). There should be enough oil in the frying pan. My main advice would be not to overcrowd it, too. If you have too many calamari rings in the skillet at the same time, it will result in releasing of excess liquid that can lead to cooking squid not in a proper way. Rings can become saggy and not crispy at all.
Fry squid rings for 2 minutes on each side until its sides become golden brown.
Let fried squid rings sit for some time on the paper towels to get rid of all the excess oil before serving. Enjoy with your favorite type of sauce!