Vegan Calamari with Chipotle Mayo

Ingredients

• 1 cup All-purpose flour (Plus a little more if needed to adjust batter thickness)
• 2 Nori sheets (Chopped or crumbled into small pieces)
• 0.5 tsp Salt
• 0.25 tsp Ground black pepper
• 0.5 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1 cup Water (Add a little more if the batter seems dry)
• 1 can Hearts of palm (Whole hearts, drained; can use any brand. Can be doubled, with panko doubled as well.)
• 1.5 cup Panko breadcrumbs (Use twice as much if doubling the hearts of palm)
• Neutral frying oil (For frying)
• 3 tbsp Vegan mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice (Plus a little extra to drizzle over the finished calamari)
• 1 tsp Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (Use the sauce only, not the pepper pieces; optional. Chipotle powder may be used instead, or omit.)
• 1.5 tsp Garlic powder
• Salt (A few cracks, to taste, for the sauce)
• Black pepper (A few cracks, to taste, for the sauce)

Steps

1. 1

   In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, crumbled nori, ½ teaspoon salt, ground black pepper, and Old Bay seasoning. Mix the dry ingredients together.

2. 2

   Pour in 1 cup water and mix to make the batter. If it seems too thin, add a little flour; if it seems too dry, add a little water.

3. 3

   Drain the hearts of palm. With a sharp knife, slice them crosswise into wheels about ¼ inch thick.

4. 4

   Push the centers out of the slices to make rings. Use the end of a chopstick to help remove a center if needed. Keep the small hearts for eating or add them to the calamari; leaving some slices whole is also fine.

5. 5

   Gently toss the hearts of palm rings in the batter, taking care not to break them.

6. 6

   Put the panko in a bag or other breading container. Bread about half the battered pieces at a time, tapping off excess batter first, then gently shake until coated. Keep the center holes visible.

7. 7

   Heat frying oil. Test its readiness by dropping in a small piece of food; the oil is ready when the piece floats back up.

8. 8

   Fry the coated hearts of palm until the outside is crisp and golden brown. Work in batches as needed.

9. 9

   Lift the fried pieces from the oil and drain them on a paper-towel-lined plate.

10. 10

    In a small bowl, combine the vegan mayonnaise, lemon juice, adobo sauce, garlic powder, and a few cracks of salt and pepper. Mix until combined.

11. 11

    Transfer the sauce to a serving dish. Spoon or drizzle a little extra sauce over the calamari, and finish with a little lemon juice. Serve and taste.

Notes

The transcript gives no exact frying-oil amount, oil temperature, or frying duration. The title mentions shrimp, but the spoken recipe describes only hearts-of-palm calamari.

Nutrition per serving

• vegan
• vegetarian
• dairy-free
• seafood-style
• fried
• appetizer
• snack