Clean the calamari by rinsing it under cold water, then remove the fins (wings) if attached. You may also need to remove the beak.

Slice the tubes into ¾” to 1” thick slices. Remove the two longer tentacles by pulling or slicing them off.

Add them to a bowl with the buttermilk and ½ teaspoons of salt and thoroughly mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, add enough oil to fill a medium-sized pot and heat over low-medium until it reaches 350°. Once it reaches that temperature, adjust the temperature so that it stays there.

Next, in a large bowl, mix together the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt.

Add half of the squid and drain off as much liquid as possible. Then, add it right to the batter. Using your hands, move the squid around for 45 seconds to 1 minute to ensure they are completely coated.

Add the coated calamari into a single or wide mesh strainer and shake off excess.

Place the calamari in different spots in the oil so that they don’t clump up in a specific area. Cook them for a maximum of 3 minutes while occasionally moving things around with a hand strainer.

Drain on paper towels and repeat the process with the remaining half of the squid.

Serve with lemon wedges, optional marinara sauce, and minced parsley.