Fried Riding Hood's (capputtedda)
Dear friends, today we prepare together an inevitable dish in the traditional fish menu of the Sicilian tradition: fried cappuccetti, which in my area we call capputteda or capputtedda, a real whim that, as we say, "Fa cala cala...!". Cappuccetti are nothing more than a mix of cuttlefish and small squid, which are eaten whole. Frying is "the death of them", but to prepare them in a workmanlike manner, crispy and dry, you need a few small tricks: a good cleaning and above all a good drying! These small marine shellfish tend to retain a lot of water, which is the enemy of frying, so you have to dab them for a long time and bread them several times, until you feel your hands dry, otherwise you will fry them soft and full of oil! Fantastic in combination with a nice fried fish, capputtedda are absolutely among my favorite foods, I could eat them by the kilo!
Ingredients
500 g cuttlefish (and squid)150 g re-milled durum wheat semolina flour150 g breadcrumbs300 ml peanut oilsaltlemon
Procedure
First, put the cuttlefish and squid in a colander. Rinse the capputtedda individually by removing the central cartilage from each one and, if they are not very small, also any entrails. Traditionally, being very small, we do not deprive the little riding hoods of the eyes, but if you prefer you can detach them with scissors. As you clean the cuttlefish and squid, place them in a second colander. At this point, shake them a little to remove excess water and let them drain for about ten minutes. Spread two layers of paper towels on a surface and pour the capputtedda over them, trying not to overlap them, then cover with more paper towels and pat dry with your hands. Turn the layers upside down and then gently remove the top layer, being careful to remove all the fish from the paper. When you have completed this operation, put the riding hoods back in the colander. In the meantime, mix the breadcrumbs with the flour in a bowl. Add a handful of breading to the squid and stir. Proceed in this way several times, adding a little breading at a time, until you feel your hands dry. Heat three fingers of peanut oil in a saucepan and, when it is hot, fry the first handful of capputtedda. In a few minutes they will become golden and crispy! Remove them from the boiling oil with a slotted spoon and place them on absorbent paper. I recommend that you change the paper towels a couple of times so as to prevent the squids most in contact with the paper from becoming soaked in oil and softening. When you have fried all the capputtedda, salt them and complete to taste with a few drops of lemon juice. Serve hot with a good glass of cold wine.
Dear friends, today we prepare together an inevitable dish in the traditional fish menu of the Sicilian tradition: fried cappuccetti, which in my area we call capputteda or capputtedda, a real whim that, as we say, "Fa cala cala...!". Cappuccetti are nothing more than a mix of cuttlefish and small squid, which are eaten whole. Frying is "the death of them", but to prepare them in a workmanlike manner, crispy and dry, you need a few small tricks: a good cleaning and above all a good drying! These small marine shellfish tend to retain a lot of water, which is the enemy of frying, so you have to dab them for a long time and bread them several times, until you feel your hands dry, otherwise you will fry them soft and full of oil! Fantastic in combination with a nice fried fish, capputtedda are absolutely among my favorite foods, I could eat them by the kilo!
Ingredients
500 g cuttlefish (and squid)
150 g re-milled durum wheat semolina flour
150 g breadcrumbs
300 ml peanut oil
salt
lemon
Procedure
First, put the cuttlefish and squid in a colander. Rinse the capputtedda individually by removing the central cartilage from each one and, if they are not very small, also any entrails. Traditionally, being very small, we do not deprive the little riding hoods of the eyes, but if you prefer you can detach them with scissors. As you clean the cuttlefish and squid, place them in a second colander. At this point, shake them a little to remove excess water and let them drain for about ten minutes. Spread two layers of paper towels on a surface and pour the capputtedda over them, trying not to overlap them, then cover with more paper towels and pat dry with your hands. Turn the layers upside down and then gently remove the top layer, being careful to remove all the fish from the paper. When you have completed this operation, put the riding hoods back in the colander. In the meantime, mix the breadcrumbs with the flour in a bowl. Add a handful of breading to the squid and stir. Proceed in this way several times, adding a little breading at a time, until you feel your hands dry. Heat three fingers of peanut oil in a saucepan and, when it is hot, fry the first handful of capputtedda. In a few minutes they will become golden and crispy! Remove them from the boiling oil with a slotted spoon and place them on absorbent paper. I recommend that you change the paper towels a couple of times so as to prevent the squids most in contact with the paper from becoming soaked in oil and softening. When you have fried all the capputtedda, salt them and complete to taste with a few drops of lemon juice. Serve hot with a good glass of cold wine.
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