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Puntillitas Fritas de Cadiz
Created by Chef Isabel
Cadiz fries puntillitas whole and fast: tiny squid, barely floured, into very hot oil for seconds, not minutes. Crisp outside, tender inside, and no heavy batter anywhere near them.
Puntillitas fritas are from Cadiz and the Andalusian coast: tiny whole squid, cleaned, dried hard, dusted lightly in flour, and fried in fierce oil until the outside crisps before the little bodies toughen. That is the dish. Not rings, not batter, not a pile of seafood hidden under crumbs.
The method that decides it is drying and speed. Wet squid makes paste when it meets flour, and cold oil turns it greasy before it has a chance to crisp. Pat the puntillitas dry, salt them just before flouring, shake off everything they don't need, and fry in small handfuls so the oil stays hot. Seconds matter here. A moment too long and they chew like rubber, which nobody invited to dinner.
If you can't find true puntillitas where you are, use the smallest cleaned squid you can buy and cut larger bodies into short strips, leaving the tentacles whole. It won't eat quite the same, because puntillitas have that tender little bite, but the rule holds: dry, light flour, hot oil, quick hands. No hace falta haber pisado Espana. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Ingredients
puntillitas, tiny whole squid
Quantity
600g
cleaned and well drained
harina de freir or fine durum wheat flour
Quantity
120g
fine wheat flour (optional)
Quantity
30g
use only if your frying flour is very coarse
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| puntillitas, tiny whole squidcleaned and well drained | 600g |
| harina de freir or fine durum wheat flour | 120g |
| fine wheat flour (optional)use only if your frying flour is very coarse | 30g |
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