Puntillitas Fritas are baby squid (chipirones) or their tiny tentacles, lightly coated in flour and flash-fried in abundant olive oil until shatteringly crisp. They are the most beloved fried fish of the Andalusian fryer, eaten hot from the paper cone with a squeeze of lemon, washed down with a cold beer.
Puntillitas are part of the Andalusian frying tradition (pescaíto frito) that defines the south of Spain. The puntillo is the tiny baby squid or its tentacles; frying them in a light flour coating at high heat is the Andalusian genius. The dish is eaten at chiringuitos (beach bars) on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, and is the classic accompaniment to a cold beer at mid-morning.
A paper cone of golden, spider-like crispies. Bite one: it shatters, then dissolves into pure sweet squid. The flour coating is feather-light, the oil fresh. Lemon cuts through. Eat them fast, while they burn the fingers — they lose their magic once cold.
The baby squid must be very fresh and patted completely dry (water would ruin the frying oil). The flour coating must be thin — excess flour makes a doughy crust. The oil must be hot (180°C) and the frying very brief (under 90 seconds), or the squid turns rubbery. Salting is done after frying, never before, so it does not draw out moisture.
Variations
Some use only the tentacles; some mix species (squid and cuttlefish); some add a pinch of baking powder to the flour for extra crispness.
On the Palate
Where Puntillitas Fritas sits in the Spanish flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
8 steps · 15 min active + 5 min waiting
- 13 min
Clean 400 g baby squid; separate tentacles if you like; pat thoroughly dry.
Watch outPat the squid bone-dry before flouring — any clinging water spits violently in the hot oil and steams the coating soft instead of crisp.
- 21 min
Season flour with salt; place in a wide bowl.
- 33 min
Dredge the baby squid in the flour in small batches; shake off all excess in a sieve.
Watch outShake off all the loose flour in a sieve — a thin dusting fries crisp, a thick coat turns to a doughy, pasty crust.
- 43 min
Heat olive oil (or sunflower) to 180°C in a deep pan.
- 52 min
Fry in small batches, 90 seconds, until golden and crisp; do not overcrowd.
Watch outFry hot at 180°C for under 90 seconds — the instant they're golden, lift them; a few seconds too long and the squid goes rubbery.
- 61 min
Lift out with a skimmer; drain on paper.
- 71 min
Sprinkle with coarse salt immediately.
- 81 min
Serve at once, with lemon wedges.
