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Ingredients:

Serves 4

1 lb. cleaned calamari
1 medium fennel bulb, sliced 1/8-inch thick (lengthwise)
1 medium onion, thinly-sliced
buttermilk for moistening
peanut or canola oil for deep-frying

For the sauce:
1/3-cup honey mustard
1/3-cup Dijon mustard
1/4-cup Champagne vinegar
2 tsp. black or yellow mustard seed, toasted
1 tsp. minced shallots
Gray salt

For the batter:
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
1 cup semolina
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. Gray salt
1 tsp. freshly-ground pepper

Directions:

To make the sauce:

1. Whisk together mustards, vinegar, mustard seed and salt to taste.

To make the rice coating:

1. Grind the rice in a blender until very fine.
   
2. In a bowl, stir together the ground rice, semolina, flour, salt and pepper.

Finishing the dish:

1. Slit the calamari bodies open so they lie flat. Place each the calamari, fennel, onion and lemon in separate bowls. Toss each with enough buttermilk to moisten them.
   
2. Heat several inches of oil to 375 degrees F in a deep fryer or deep pot.
   
3. While oil heats, drain the calamari, then place some of it in a strainer over a large bowl.
   
4. Sprinkle generously with rice coating and shake; repeat until the calamari is well-coated.
   
5. Fry until golden brown and crisp, then transfer to a tray lined with paper towels. Season immediately with salt.
   
6. Keep warm in a low oven. Repeat with the remaining calamari, then drain, coat and fry the fennel, onion and lemon slices in the same way.
   
7. Put a generous pool of mustard sauce on each plate, then top with an assortment of fried calamari, fennel, onion and lemon.