Squid requires a short cooking time to ensure that it is tender and moist when it lands on the dining table. When overcooked, squid turns tough and rubbery. The trick here is to do the frying at the correct temperature so that the coating turns brown and crisp without overcooking the squid.
Rinse the squid rings, drain well and wipe with paper towels.
Toss the squids with two teaspoons salt and and a quarter teaspoon pepper.
In a bowl, whisk two tablespoons flour with the lemon and pepper seasoning.
Add the seasoned squids and toss to lightly coat each piece with the flour mixture.
Make the batter by stirring together the starch, remaining flour, beer, vodka, cayenne and the remaining salt and pepper.
Pour enough cooking oil in a frying pan to reach a depth of at least two inches. Bring the temperature of the oil to 350F. If you don’t use a thermometer, watch out for fine wisps of smoke to float on the surface of the oil.
Cook the squid rings in batches. Dip each piece of squid in the batter and drop into the hot oil. Repeat until you have six to eight pieces frying in the oil. Cook the squid for one to one and a half minutes per side. DO NOT overcook.
When the squid pieces are done, scoop out and move to a strainer. Repeat until all the squids are battered and deep fried.
Pile the deep fried squid on a platter.
Stir together the ketchup and mayo in a small bowl and serve on the side as a dipping sauce.