• PAIR WITH Olive Brook Sauvignon Blanc Sur Lie 2012; the acidic freshness of the wine combines well with the crunchy texture of the calamari and the creaminess of the sauce

    Tempura calamari with feta dip

    Serves: 4
    Cooking Time: 20 mins

    Ingredients

    • THE FLAVOUR COMBINATIONS CALAMARI

    • 500ml (2 cups) SPAR Sunflower
    • Oil, to deep-fry
    • 1 SPAR Large Egg
    • 250ml (1 cup) SPAR Sparkling Water
    • 110g (1 cup) SPAR Cake Wheat Flour + extra, to dust
    • pinch baking powder
    • 2,5ml (½ tsp) salt
    • 800g SPAR Calamari Rings, defrosted
    • FETA DIP

    • 200g SPAR Double Cream
    • Plain Yoghurt
    • 50g SPAR Feta Cheese
    • 10ml (2 tsp) SPAR Dijon Mustard
    • zest and juice of 1 lemon
    • 1 SPAR Freshline Garlic Clove, peeled and finely chopped
    • freshly ground black pepper,
    • to taste
    • 2 quartered lemons, to squeeze

    Instructions

    1

    Preheat the sunflower oil in a deep fat fryer or medium-sized, deep saucepan to 180˚C.

    2

    Whisk the egg and sparkling water together in a bowl until well combined.

    3

    Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Gently whisk in the egg mixture until it forms a smooth batter.

    4

    Pat the calamari rings dry with paper towel. Dip the calamari rings in the batter until well coated. Deep-fry in batches, 3 – 4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain the calamari on paper towel. Repeat these steps with the remaining ingredients.

    5

    For the dip, combine the yoghurt, feta and Dijon mustard, lemon zest and juice and garlic clove in the bowl of a food processor. Blitz until smooth. Season to taste. Serve the tempura-fried calamari with the feta dip and lemon wedges for squeezing.

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