Fried squid rings (Calamares a la romana)

1. Clean the squid: pull out the head and innards, peel off the membrane, cut the body into 1 cm rings and pat thoroughly dry.

2. Salt the rings lightly and toss in the flour, tapping off the excess.

3. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt; dip the floured rings in the egg and let the excess drip off.

4. Heat the oil to 180 °C in a deep pan and fry the rings in batches for 1.5-2 minutes until pale golden.

5. Drain on kitchen paper and salt lightly.

6. Serve hot with lemon wedges – in Madrid they're also eaten in a bread roll as a sandwich (bocadillo).

Tip: Squid turns rubbery if fried for more than 2 minutes – work quickly in small batches.