Fried Squid with Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 pounds squid, cleaned, bodies sliced into 1/8-inch rounds, tentacles cut into 1-inch segments
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 quarts Vegetable oil
• Kosher Salt
• Prepared Marinara for serving
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Set the oven to 250 degrees F. Pour the buttermilk into a medium-sized bowl, add the squid, and stir until everything is coated.
2. Bring the oil to 360 degrees F in a 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven. Spread the flour in a large baking dish, mix in the black pepper, then add the squid and toss to coat it well. Move the squid to a wire mesh strainer and shake it over the bowl so the extra flour falls away.
3. Cook the squid 1/4 at a time for no more than 1 minute, moving it around with a wire mesh strainer or spider as it fries. Lift the pieces into a paper towel-lined bowl to drain, and salt them right away. Move the cooked squid to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, and keep it warm in the oven while you cook the rest. Let the oil come back to 360 degrees F before starting each new batch. Serve right away with lemon wedges and tomato sauce.