Fried Calamari with Creole Olive Salad

Ingredients

1 pound calamari, thawed
1 cup masa flour
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons Essence of Emeril
1/2 cup buttermilk
Salt and pepper
*Parmesan Reggiano Cheese
CREOLE OLIVE SALAD:
1 cup black olives, sliced
1 cup large green stuffed olives. sliced
2 tablespoons. minced shallots
2 teaspoons. minced garlic
2 tablespoons small diced celery
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons fine ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

Marinate the cut calamari in the buttermilk and 1/4 cup of the creole spice, allow to sit for 20 minutes. Combine the masa and flour together with the remaining creole spice. For olive salad, combine all the ingredients together and set aside. Dredge the marinated calamari in the flour mixture and sift to remove any excess. Place dredged calamari in the fryer basket and deep fry until slightly golden in color, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent from sticking together. Season with creole seasoning, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and top with the olive salad.

Yield: 4 servings