Calamari New Hellas

My first introduction to squid steaks was about 30 years ago at The New Hellas Cafe in Detroit's Greektown.  The owner would often bring samples of what he was cooking in the kitchen to our table.  This particular night he came out with a breaded squid steak served with a tomato and onion relish...it was so good that I had to learn to make it myself.  You can find frozen squid steaks at many Italian and Asian markets.

For the relish:
2 medium tomatoes, seeded, cored and finely diced
1 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 Tbl fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
Combine all ingredients and set aside.

For the squid:
2 squid steaks, thawed if frozen
1 cup milk
1/3 cup flour for dusting the squid
1 egg beaten with 2 Tbl water
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup olive oil
lemon wedges (optional)
Soak the squid in the milk for 30 to 40 minutes.Remove and pat dry with paper towels.
Set up a breading station of a bowl of flour,a bowl of beaten egg and a bowl of seasoned crumbs.
Dredge each steak in the flour, then egg and then the crumbs.
Saute the steaks in a large pan in the olive oil for no more than 3 minutes per side until golden.
Serve immediately with the relish and lemon wedges if desired.