Chef Isabel
Berenjenas Fritas con Miel de Caña
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Rabas Cántabras
Created by
Rabas are Cantabria's fried squid, cut in long strips instead of rings, floured lightly, and fried fast in hot oil so the outside grips and the squid stays tender.
Appetizers & Snacks
Spanish
Outdoor Dining
Comfort Food
Game Day
20 min
Active Time
12 min cook•32 min total
Yield4 servings
Rabas are Cantabrian, especially Santander's Sunday plate: squid cut into long strips, not rings, tossed in flour and fried until the edges go crisp and the inside stays tender. This is not calamares a la romana wearing another name. The cut matters, the flour matters, and the oil matters most.
The method that decides it is dryness before the flour and heat once the squid goes in. Wet squid makes paste. Cool oil makes rubber. Dry the strips well, flour them just before frying, shake off more than you think, and give them enough room in oil hot enough to seal the outside quickly. That is the whole trick.
If you are far from Cantabria, use cleaned squid tubes and tentacles from a fishmonger, or good frozen squid thawed overnight in the refrigerator. Frozen can be kinder than tired fresh squid, because it tenderizes a little as it freezes. Just dry it properly. No hace falta haber pisado España. With good squid, hot oil, and a lemon wedge, siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Rabas belong to Cantabria's aperitivo table, especially around Santander, where plates of fried squid are eaten before lunch with a small beer or vermouth. The name refers to the strip cut of the squid, a northern way of serving it that separates it from the ring-shaped calamares common elsewhere. Its roots sit with the Cantabrian coast and its fish markets, where simple frying protected the sweetness of very fresh squid instead of covering it.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
cleaned squid bodies and tentacles
Quantity
700g
bodies cut into long strips, tentacles separated
plain wheat flour
Quantity
160g
fine semolina or rice flour (optional)
Quantity
25g
fine sea salt
Quantity
1 teaspoon, plus more to finish
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
mild olive oil or sunflower oil
Quantity
750ml
for frying
lemon
Quantity
1
cut into wedges
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| cleaned squid bodies and tentaclesbodies cut into long strips, tentacles separated | 700g |
| plain wheat flour | 160g |
| fine semolina or rice flour (optional) | 25g |
| fine sea salt | 1 teaspoon, plus more to finish |
| freshly ground black pepper | 1/2 teaspoon |
| mild olive oil or sunflower oilfor frying | 750ml |
| lemoncut into wedges | 1 |
Equipment Needed
- •Deep heavy frying pan or wide saucepan
- •Cooking thermometer
- •Wire rack or paper towels
- •Sieve for shaking off flour
Instructions
- 1
Cut the squid
Open the squid bodies flat and cut them lengthwise into strips about 1.5cm wide and 8 to 10cm long. Leave the tentacles in small clusters. Rabas are strips, not rings; that long cut gives you crisp edges and a tender middle, tal como se hace allí.
If using frozen squid, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, drain it well, and treat it exactly the same. Frozen is better than fresh squid that has sat too long. - 2
Dry them hard
Lay the squid on a clean cloth or several layers of kitchen paper and pat it very dry. Salt it lightly with about half the sea salt and leave it for 5 minutes, then pat again. This is the step people rush, and then the flour turns gluey. Pésalo, no lo adivines, and dry it properly too.
- 3
Heat the oil
Pour the oil into a deep pan so it is at least 4cm deep and heat it to 180C. If you have no thermometer, drop in a pinch of flour; it should fizz at once without darkening immediately. Hot oil seals the coating fast, so the squid stays sweet instead of boiling in its own water.
- 4
Flour just before frying
Mix the flour, optional semolina or rice flour, remaining salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Toss one small handful of squid at a time through the flour, then shake hard in a sieve so only a thin coat stays on. Do this right before the squid enters the oil, not ten minutes earlier.
- 5
Fry in batches
Fry the squid in small batches for 60 to 90 seconds, turning once, until pale gold with crisp ragged edges. Do not crowd the pan; too much squid drops the oil temperature and gives you chewy rabas. Lift them out as soon as they firm and colour lightly, because squid forgives heat for one minute, not three.
- 6
Drain and serve
Drain the rabas on a rack or paper for a minute, salt lightly while they are hot, and serve at once with lemon wedges. Eat them with your fingers before the coating softens. That is not bad manners here; that is lunch getting started.
Chef Tips
- •Buy squid that smells clean and faintly of the sea, never sour or strong. Small to medium squid are easier to keep tender than very large ones.
- •Keep the coating thin. Rabas should taste of squid first, with a crisp flour shell around it, not a heavy batter hiding the fish.
- •Fry at 180C and let the oil climb back between batches. If the first batch comes out pale and limp, stop and reheat the oil before you continue.
- •Lemon is enough. A spoonful of mayonnaise is common in some bars, but the Cantabrian plate does not need a sauce parade.
Advance Preparation
- •Clean and cut the squid up to 6 hours ahead, then keep it covered in the refrigerator on paper towels so it stays dry.
- •Do not flour the squid ahead. Flour just before frying or the coating turns damp and heavy.
- •Rabas are best eaten straight from the pan. Leftovers soften quickly, though they can be warmed briefly in a hot oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 180g)
Calories
420 calories
Total Fat
21 g
Saturated Fat
3 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
18 g
Cholesterol
410 mg
Sodium
790 mg
Total Carbohydrates
25 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
30 g
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