Bocadillo de Calamares
Madrid's classic street sandwich: lightly floured squid rings, fried fast and crisp, piled into a crusty roll with nothing more than a squeeze of lemon.
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 10 min
- total
- 25 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- medium
A bocadillo de calamares is Madrid street food in its simplest form: squid rings, lightly floured and fried fast, stuffed into a crusty roll while they are still hot. You will find a version of it near the Plaza Mayor on almost any given day.
There is very little to this sandwich besides timing. The squid needs to go from hot oil to hot bread in minutes, before it has a chance to turn chewy or go soft.
Part of our 20 best Spanish recipes list.
method
Pat the squid rings completely dry with paper towels.
Mix the flour and salt in a shallow bowl. Toss the squid rings through the flour until lightly and evenly coated, then shake off the excess.
Heat the frying oil to 190°C (375°F). Fry the squid in small batches for 60 to 90 seconds, until pale gold and just cooked through. Do not overcook; squid turns rubbery fast.
Drain on paper towels and salt immediately while hot.
Split the rolls and spread with alioli or mayonnaise if using. Pile in the fried squid while it is still hot and crisp.
Serve right away with lemon wedges, so everyone can squeeze their own.
chef's tips
- Squid cooks in under two minutes. Walk away for a phone call and you will come back to rubber.
- A thin, light flour coating is the classic Madrid style, not a thick batter. Shake off any extra before frying.
- Fry in small batches. Too much squid at once drops the oil temperature and the coating turns greasy instead of crisp.
- Build the sandwich at the very last second. Squid loses its crunch within a few minutes of frying.