The Wheelhouse

Bringing the Wheelhouse Crispy Calamari Starter Home

Our kitchen at The Wheelhouse, beside the famous rotating boat lift in Falkirk, has spent years refining a single dish on our all-day menu: the crispy calamari starter. It must arrive looking golden, crackling faintly under the lightest tap of a fork, and giving way to squid that stays tender rather than rubbery. After many test batches, the dish earned its place on a menu that also includes our Sunday roasts, Friday steak nights, and Champagne afternoon tea — a menu we tell stories about, from how we honour tradition to how we adapt it for family tables.

Readers in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide often ask how to recreate that pub-style starter at home, particularly given how abundant Australian squid is on local markets. The method travels well, because the principles of hot oil, light batter, and brief cook times translate anywhere you find clean seafood and a heavy-based pan. Below, we share the technique our chefs rely on, plus small tweaks that matter for relaxed weekend entertaining at home.

Sourcing the squid

The choice of squid changes almost everything. Our Scottish kitchen sources from day-boat suppliers along the Fife coast, where freshness matters more than size, but the same rule applies wherever you shop. In Australia, arrow squid (Nototodarus gouldi) appears at fishmongers in Sydney's Pyrmont, Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market, and most city-side seafood counters from July to February. Fresh, cleaned tubes bring the cleanest flavour. If frozen is your only option, thaw overnight in the fridge and drain thoroughly on paper towels before dredging.

Avoid pre-battered or pre-seasoned rings from the freezer aisle, which turn greasy and hide the sweetness of the flesh. Look instead for tubes cut into even rings about one centimetre thick, since thinner pieces lose moisture in seconds and emerge rubbery on the plate. Smaller rings also overcook before the crust sets, which is the leading cause of disappointing calamari at home.

Preparing the tubes

Once the squid is cleaned and drained, work through these steps before any coating touches it. Slice each tube into rings of consistent thickness, around 1 cm, so the pieces cook at the same rate and you avoid the frustrating mix of crisp edges and chewy centres. Pat the rings completely dry with paper towels. Moisture is the enemy of a light crust, and rushing this step is the most common home cook mistake. Season lightly with fine sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper, which seasons the flesh itself rather than sitting on the surface.

Some of our chefs swear by a 30-minute chill in the refrigerator once seasoned. The cold firms the flesh, helps the rings hold their shape in the fry, and gives the salt a moment to season through. A brief, dry rest makes juggling multiple plates far more forgiving, just as prep across several dishes has to stay ahead of the oven when we plate our Sunday lunch, where tradition meets the realities of a busy service the history of the Sunday roast and how we honour it.

Building the batter

Our batter is intentionally simple, closer to a thin tempura than a heavy beer batter. Plain flour provides structure, the sparkling liquid lifts it, and a small amount of rice flour gives the finished crust an audible shatter when you bite in. Rice flour also resists oiliness in a way wheat flour alone cannot, keeping the calamari tasting bright rather than heavy on the palate.

For a portion serving four as a starter, whisk 100 g plain flour, 25 g rice flour, 15 g cornflour, 4 g fine sea salt, and 2 g smoked paprika for a quiet depth that pairs beautifully with lemon wedges on a Perth summer table. Add roughly 160 ml of cold sparkling water or a light lager gradually while stirring with a fork until the batter resembles thin pouring cream. Stop the moment small lumps remain; overmixing develops gluten and toughens the crust. Hold the bowl in the fridge while the oil heats, so the batter stays cold when it meets the pan.

Frying at the right temperature

Oil temperature is the single biggest deciding factor between crisp and soggy. We fry at 180°C in a heavy-based saucepan or countertop fryer, a figure worth confirming with a thermometer rather than guessing by eye. A home cook using a deep cast-iron pan over a gas burner can absolutely reach and hold this temperature — just stay alert to drops between batches.

Dip each ring into the batter, let the excess drip for two or three seconds, then lower it gently into the oil. Crowd the pan and the temperature plunges, leaving the calamari to absorb oil instead of repelling it. Aim for four or five rings at a time and resist the urge to feed in more. Cook for 90 seconds to two minutes, turning once with a slotted spoon, until the coating turns a pale, even gold and feels firm when tapped. Lift the rings onto a wire rack over a tray to drain. Avoid paper towels on a flat plate, since trapped steam softens the underside you worked hard to crisp.

Serving at home and what to drink

The coating is the star, so the sauce should complement rather than compete. Three small bowls on a shared platter work nicely for casual entertaining in the style we serve at the Wheelhouse. Try a lemon aioli built from good mayonnaise, crushed garlic, lemon zest, and a squeeze of juice. Add a chilli vinegar of cider vinegar, sliced red chilli, a pinch of caster sugar, and torn basil leaves. Finish with a roasted capsicum relish of charred capsicums blitzed with olive oil, salt, and a splash of sherry vinegar, plus a wedge of lemon and a rocket salad dressed simply with olive oil.

Pairings matter even at starter stage. Our bar team usually leans toward something cold, zippy, and high in acidity to cut through the richness, and the same rule holds at home. A Sauvignon Blanc from Margaret River or the Adelaide Hills is a classic choice, and the citrus notes flatter both the squid and any lemon aioli on the table. A Pinot Grigio from Victoria's King Valley suits those who prefer a softer wine, while a chilled lager from a local brewery works for weekend lunches on the patio.

If you'd like to extend the wine theme, an interesting read on regional Italian seafood pairings sits at Veneto wine traditions, which argues that Soave in particular complements light, fried seafood better than most people expect. The same logic explains why Australian drinkers keep drifting back to high-acid whites whenever a bowl of calamari comes out of the kitchen.

Recommendations from our kitchen

For a short list of starting points on your first attempt at home, these are the tips our team offers most often to guests who learn more about the Wheelhouse and ask how the dish comes together.

If younger guests are joining the table, treat the spread the way we approach our family service what to expect from our children's afternoon tea experience: set a milder tomato or yoghurt dip alongside the spicy options, seat curious eaters away from the active cooking area, and offer a small, predictable portion so no one feels crowded out by the adult plates.

Ready to try the dish tonight? Pull out a heavy pan, chill a bottle of lager for the batter, and treat your flatmates or family the way we treat our guests every weekend of the year. Reserve a table with us in central Scotland whenever a trip north calls, and we will cook this starter for you the proper way.