Secrets of working with squid: choosing, cleaning, cooking

• October 14, 2018
• Salads
• Kira Ifeevskaya

Squid is a very tasty and healthy food, a popular ingredient in salads. They are rich in vitamins B6 and PP and contain more nutrients than fish. This amazing product has a pleasant taste and goes well with different ingredients. To make the salad tender, you need to know how to properly cook squid. Let's look at proven methods for boiling them. If you do everything according to the instructions, the squid will turn out soft and tasty.

Preparing the carcass for cooking

Correct selection and preparation of seafood is the key to successful squid cooking. In supermarkets you can find frozen product, pre-peeled or unpeeled.

In the first case, it needs to be defrosted. This is done indoors. There are several ways to quickly defrost squid. To thaw, the squid carcass can be left on the kitchen counter or placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for several hours. You can also pour frozen carcasses with ice water.

In order to properly cook unpeeled clams, they must be cleaned. This process will not cause many difficulties if you follow the step-by-step instructions.

How to clean defrosted seafood:

1. A carcass of a mollusk without a head and tentacles only requires removing the films, since it has already been cleaned of its entrails.
2. Unpeeled squid requires cutting. Take him by the head, holding him firmly in the eye area with one hand.
3. Holding the carcass, firmly pull the free half of the mollusk towards you - this will allow you to remove all the insides of the squid.
4. Feel the dense chitinous film with your hands and remove it. It can be easily removed without additional manipulation.
5. Before cooking squid, remove the white and red membrane from them. To remove it easily, place the clams in a deep bowl and cover with hot water. After 1 minute, drain the liquid and rinse the carcasses under running water. Grab the film with a knife blade and pull - it will easily separate from the mollusk.
6. Rinse the shellfish carcasses under tap water and rub with your hands, washing off any remaining film.

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Pictures Squid tentacles can be boiled with the rest of the squid or thrown away with the entrails. If the cook decides to leave them, it is necessary to cut off the tentacles near the eyes of the mollusk and cut out the mouth located between the tentacles.

Beginner cooks often ask why squid tastes bitter after cooking. The main reason for unpleasant bitterness lies in improper storage of seafood. Therefore, buy shellfish only in reliable stores, carefully check the tightness of the packaging and the expiration date of the product.

How to choose the right squid carcasses to boil, fry or bake

The first thing you should think about before cooking squid is choosing a quality product. Since fresh shellfish are sold exclusively in specialized seafood stores or in departments of large city supermarkets, you often have to settle for frozen ones. Both are great for preparing delicious dishes if they are chosen wisely. We’ll tell you in more detail how to choose the right squid carcasses to boil, fry or bake!

Rules for choosing squid for cooking at home

• Uncleaned squid may be grey, pinkish, lilac, spotted or speckled. But, nevertheless, the taste of the product does not depend in any way on the color of the upper skin;
• From fresh seafood, it is better to choose small specimens with a natural smell and intact skin. Cloudy eyes or a strong stench are a sign of staleness;
• Before buying fresh squid, you should lightly touch it with your fingers. If the skin is sticky, the product has passed its expiration date;
• Frozen squid fillets should be white or slightly greyish. The yellow color of the shellfish indicates poor quality, long storage or violation of freezing conditions;
• When choosing frozen squid carcasses for boiling, frying or baking, check whether they were stored correctly. If parts of the mollusk (tentacles, carcasses, rings) are stuck together, the product was most likely defrosted, which is a gross violation of temperature conditions. It is better to buy separately frozen fillets that are not covered with a thick layer of “glaze.”

Cooking fresh carcasses

There are various ways to cook squid so that it is soft. It is better not to boil fresh carcasses in boiling water, otherwise they may lose their taste and become rubbery. To quickly cook fresh shellfish, salted boiling water is used.

• shellfish carcasses – 900-950 g;
• table or sea salt - to your taste;
• water – 1 l.

This is a simple and quick way to properly cook squid without heat treatment. Boil water and add salt. Mix well and immediately remove from heat.

Dip fresh shellfish carcasses into hot water and leave for 8-10 minutes. Place seafood in a colander and leave to drain. Garnish the finished dish with lemon slices or sprigs of fresh herbs.

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Rules for choosing seafood

Squid salads are very light on the stomach and very nutritious. Combination with different products gives the dish originality and pleases with its unchanged taste. You can prepare such a salad quickly and easily, you just need to know some of the features of cooking the carcasses and tentacles of this mollusk. If you overcook the squid even a little, its meat becomes tough. How to properly cook squid for salad so that it does not become “rubbery”?

First you need to choose the right product. There are also subtleties here. As a rule, unpeeled squids are sold frozen. When choosing a carcass, follow the following rules:

• You should only buy a frozen product (if it is not possible to get fresh), because thawed carcasses after cooking produce bitter and viscous meat. A properly frozen squid should have no more than 8% of its total ice mass.
• Carcasses should not be stuck together. This is an indication that they were not thawed or re-frozen during storage.
• Avoid Peruvian giant squid fillets as they have a very specific taste and will require additional processing.
• Do not buy peeled squid, as they have already been defrosted, which is a gross violation of the product storage rules.
• The squid rings are waste from the processing of giant squids that have already been thawed.
• The squid carcass must be clean, without stains or damage, covered with film. The smaller the carcass, the softer and more tender its meat.

How to cook unpeeled

Most often, housewives buy already cleaned squid carcasses, because they require minimal cooking time. If desired, you can use unpeeled clams. You can easily remove the film from boiled seafood by placing it under running tap water. Many chefs, when choosing a way to cook squid fillet, choose this recipe, since the skin of the mollusk not only protects the meat from drying out, but also contains a lot of useful elements.

• unpeeled squid carcasses – 900-950 g;
• sea ​​or table salt - 2-3 tbsp. l;
• lemon juice – 3-4 tsp;
• allspice peas – 8-10 pcs;
• black peppercorns – 12-14 pcs;
• bay leaves – 4-6 pcs;
• water – 1 l.

Before cooking unpeeled squid, pour the required amount of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Add salt, bay leaves, black and allspice peas and other spices. Additionally, you can add juice from half a lemon or a few chopped garlic cloves to the water.

Place the unpeeled clams in a pan of boiling water. After boiling, you need to cook the squid for about 2 minutes, then place it under a stream of ice water. The film will come off easily and cleaning the squid will only take a few minutes.

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How to properly process squid before cooking

Cleaned squid

Squid, like other seafood, should be defrosted either in the refrigerator or at room temperature. It is strictly forbidden to defrost shellfish in the microwave or under hot water.

There are two processing methods:

1. After defrosting, cut off the tentacles, pull out the chord, turn the squid inside out and peel off all the films.

2. Place the squid in boiling water for 30 seconds; as soon as the protein begins to curl, the film will detach itself from the carcass. Immediately remove and clean off all excess under running cold water. But you must remember that the process of heat treatment of the product has started and the squid has already begun to cook.

In a steamer

Tasty and juicy squid can be prepared in various ways - for example, using a double boiler. It greatly simplifies the process of preparing shellfish, allowing you to preserve all the taste and beneficial qualities of the tender meat. This dish would be an excellent option for a diet menu.

• shellfish carcasses – 2 pcs;
• black peppercorns – 3-5 pcs;
• bay leaves – 2-3 pcs;
• water – 1 l.

Clean the squid carcasses from films and entrails, cut off the tentacles. Rinse the clams under tap water and dry with a paper towel. Transfer the prepared carcasses into a steamer container.

Pour 1 liter of water into a special steamer container, season with bay leaves and black peppercorns. You need to cook the cleaned squid for no more than 3 minutes, setting this time on the timer. The lid of the steamer must not be opened during cooking.

After the timer signal, carefully inspect the shellfish - if the carcasses have turned white, they are completely ready and can be transferred to a serving plate.

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A quick way - cooking over an open fire

There are several options for boiling carcasses. They all differ from each other in terms of preparation and the time allocated for heat treatment of the product. It is not possible to answer how many minutes to cook squid. It depends on the method of their preparation. In any case, if you cook them over an open fire, the cooking time should not exceed one minute, and if infused, it may be longer. When cooking, you must be very careful, because just a few extra seconds in boiling water can irreparably spoil the product.

In a slow cooker

Squids cooked in a slow cooker are soft, tender and juicy. This dish will appeal to all seafood lovers. It goes well with fluffy rice, pasta, stewed or fresh vegetables. By spending just a few minutes of time, you can prepare a delicious and healthy dinner for the whole family.

• squid carcasses – 900-950 g;
• fresh tomatoes – 4 pcs;
• carrots – 2 pcs;
• white onions – 2 pcs;
• sour cream – 350-380 ml;
• khmeli-suneli;
• fresh dill;
• salt.

Before cooking frozen squid, let it thaw completely at room temperature. After this, peel off the film, remove the insides and tentacles. Wash the shellfish carcasses thoroughly under running water and dry with paper napkins or towels, then cut the squid into thin rings.

Wash the tomatoes well and cut into small cubes, grate the peeled carrots on a grater with large holes. Peel the onions and chop into half rings or cubes.

Pour chopped onions, carrots, tomatoes and prepared squid rings into the multicooker bowl. Sprinkle with salt, spices and pour sour cream over everything. How long to cook squid depends on the thickness of the rings, the model and power of the multicooker. Usually 15-20 minutes in the “Extinguishing” mode is enough.

Let the finished dish brew in the multicooker bowl for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a plate, sprinkle with finely chopped dill and serve.

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TOP 4 delicious salads with squid

Seafood salads are easy to prepare, filling, but at the same time light.

See also: How to choose the best olive oil for salad: 8 secrets

Salad with squid and champignons

The unusual combination of mushrooms, squid and walnuts will appeal to many. The preparation itself will not take much time, but before serving, it is better to “cool” the salad in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

Ingredients:

• 300 g squid;
• 500 g champignons;
• 200 g hard cheese;
• 50-100 g walnuts;
• 200 g mayonnaise;
• salt, bay leaf, pepper and cloves to taste;
• garlic clove;
• 1 PC. bulb onions;
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil for frying.

Preparation:

1. Add spices and salt to the water, cook for 5 minutes. Then add the carcasses of peeled squid. After 2-3 minutes, the clams should be removed with a slotted spoon and cooled in cold water.
2. Peel the onion and cut into half rings. To prevent the onion from becoming bitter, you can scald it. Cut the champignons into small slices.
3. Add frying oil, onions and mushrooms to a preheated frying pan. Fry until done.
4. Chop walnuts and garlic, grate cheese, cut squid into narrow strips.
5. Mix all ingredients and season with mayonnaise and garlic.
6. Place the salad on plates in portions, sprinkle chopped nuts and parsley on top.

“Royal” salad with squid for the festive table - video

Salad with squid, potatoes and pickled sweet peppers

A bright and tasty salad that becomes even tastier if you cool it before serving.

Ingredients:

• 400-500 g squid;
• 200 g boiled potatoes;
• 200-300 g pickled sweet pepper;
• 50 g green onions;
• 3 pcs. chicken egg;
• 200 g mayonnaise;
• parsley and dill.

Preparation:

1. Cleaned squids are boiled in water for 1-2 minutes, cooled and cut into strips.
2. Pickled peppers should be cut into thin strips, boiled potatoes into thin slices. Finely chop the eggs.
3. Mix all ingredients and season with mayonnaise. Before serving, sprinkle with green onions and finely chopped herbs.

"Cold start"

“Cold start” is one of the common ways to properly cook squid. The essence of this method is that the shellfish is cooked in cold water, maintaining its delicate and refined taste. For cold cooking, you can use any spices at your discretion - ginger, black and allspice, cloves, coriander or hot chili pepper. Such additives give squid meat an original, spicy flavor.

• squid carcasses – 2 pcs;
• ginger root – 3 cm;
• allspice peas – 5-7 pcs;
• black peppercorns – 4-5 pcs;
• cloves – 3 buds;
• bay leaves – 2-3 pcs;
• sea ​​salt – 1 tbsp. l;
• water – 1 l.

Pour the indicated amount of water into a small saucepan. Add a tablespoon of sea salt, bay leaves, chopped ginger root, cloves and other spices. Add prepared and cleaned shellfish carcasses.

Place the pan over low heat and heat slightly, without bringing the water to a boil. After the first bubbles appear on the surface of the liquid, immediately remove the pan from the heat and allow the clams to cool slightly in the hot brine for about 10 minutes.

Place the finished squid on a plate and, if desired, garnish with fresh herb leaves and lemon slices.

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Useful tips for the housewife to note

I also wanted to highlight a few points about choosing squid. On the shelves you can find both frozen shellfish and chilled products. But there is also a difference in price. Whole carcasses with tentacles and head cost an order of magnitude less, because you buy by weight what you have to throw away. But they don’t eat squid entrails. The only thing that can be used in cooking is their tentacles.

So, before buying a delicious delicacy, you should pay attention to the following aspects:

The safest thing is to purchase whole squid, which you can cut up yourself and, before purchasing, determine whether the product is a quality product by the color of the skin or not. If you prefer already cleaned carcasses without a mantle, then the main thing is to be confident in the seller. After all, it is impossible to determine from the fillet how long the shellfish meat was stored before being laid out on the counter and how fresh it is.

• Fresh, high-quality squid has a pinkish or brownish skin in appearance. If you notice that the mollusk has acquired a yellow or grayish color, you should refrain from purchasing. Such squid was probably stored for a long period of time and the temperature regime was violated. The bitterness of such meat will be very difficult to neutralize.
• If you purchase a chilled carcass, do not hesitate to sniff the smell. Fresh seafood should not have a distinct fishy aroma. A subtle smell of the sea is allowed. If you feel that the product smells like musty fish, then the product is not fresh and of high quality.
• Frozen squids should not be twisted or have any dents. Otherwise, this indicates that the shellfish were re-frozen. When cooking, there is a very high chance, even if the correct technology is followed, to get tough and bitter meat.
• Fresh squid meat should be firm and moist. If the carcass is falling apart or is too dry, then definitely do not purchase such a product.

If you cook shellfish for a salad, then you just need to salt the water. But for other dishes, if you plan to cook stuffed squid or serve it with some sauce, then if you wish, you can add spices to the water to enrich the taste of the meat:

1. Bay leaf
2. Peppercorns or ground
3. Lemon juice
4. Dill
5. Rosemary
6. Bunch celery
7. Carrot
8. Carnation

My dears, that's all for me. I am sure that now you will understand the science of cooking squid and such healthy seafood will be present on your table more often. Don't be discouraged if something doesn't work out the first time. Over time, you will definitely learn to “feel” the product. Try to experiment and then your hands will prepare the most delicious dishes. Don't forget to check out our squid salad recipes.

In hot water

There are a huge number of recipes for cooking squid. This is a tasty, juicy and versatile seafood that goes well with many other ingredients and sauces - sour cream, tomato, vegetable, mustard or garlic.

• squid carcasses – 1 kg;
• sour cream – 6-7 tbsp. l;
• white onions – 2 pcs;
• olive oil – 3 tbsp. l;
• ground chili pepper – 1 tsp;
• salt - to taste;
• fresh dill;
• water – 2 l.

First of all, prepare the squid carcasses. Place frozen shellfish on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator or on the kitchen counter until completely thawed. After this, peel them from the skin, remove the insides and rinse thoroughly under tap water.

Pour water into a large saucepan and bring to a boil, then add salt to taste. Place the shellfish carcasses in boiling liquid and boil for no more than 1-2 minutes. Remove seafood using a slotted spoon and transfer to a separate plate.

Peel the white onions and cut into small cubes or half rings. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion and fry for 4-5 minutes until golden brown, stirring constantly.

Pour sour cream into the onions, sprinkle with finely chopped onions and season with spices. Simmer the sauce until thick. Serve boiled squid with aromatic sour cream sauce.

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How long to cook squid fillet until steamed

Many cooks avoid methods of quickly steaming squid fillets for fear of not bringing the product to readiness and leaving possible parasites alive. All these fears are, of course, formidable, but completely groundless. By choosing the right temperature and finding out how long to steam the squid fillet until it’s ready, you can simplify your task and get a delicious ingredient for a delicious dish.

Necessary ingredients for steaming squid

• cleaned squid carcasses - 500 g
• black peppercorns - 3 pcs.
• bay leaf - 1 pc.

Step-by-step preparation of steamed boiled squid

1. Place cleaned and thoroughly washed squid carcasses into a steamer container.
2. Add a bay leaf and a few peppercorns to clean water.
3. Place the bowls in the device and set the timer for 10 minutes.
4. If you don’t have a kitchen assistant, use a pressure cooker or the usual combination of a saucepan and a metal sieve. At this time, the squid fillet will need to be cooked for 7-10 minutes until fully cooked.

Pouring boiling water

To quickly and easily prepare squid, you can use the method of pouring boiling water. This method is very popular among many cooks, since the tender shellfish meat is not subject to heat treatment. Thanks to this, it remains juicy, elastic and soft.

How to cook squid by pouring boiling water:

1. To fully prepare the clam, you will need three pours of boiling water. The first step is to scald the squid while peeling it.
2. Place the shellfish carcasses into a deep bowl and cover with boiling water with a pinch of sea salt for 1 minute. After this, immediately rinse the seafood under a stream of ice water.
3. Pour over the clams a third time, letting them sit for 60 seconds, then rinse under tap water.

After three soakings in boiling water, the squids are ready for further consumption. They can be served as an independent snack or used to prepare original salads and other dishes.

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Seventh method

This method of cooking squid involves using a frozen product.

To do this, the carcasses must be removed from the freezer and placed in one row in the sink. You need to boil the kettle and pour hot water over the carcasses on both sides. After this, immediately rinse them under the tap and then get rid of the skin.

The prepared seafood should be placed in a pan where water has already boiled. The water should also be salted in advance. Cook the squid over medium heat for two to three minutes. When this time has elapsed, the product should be removed and cooled.

Combined cooking method

The combined cooking method is popular among chefs, as it combines boiling the shellfish with its simultaneous cleaning. The technique for combined seafood cooking is very simple:

1. Pour 2.5-3 liters of water into a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Add salt to the boiling water to taste and stir well until the salt is completely dissolved.
3. Place defrosted shellfish carcasses into boiling liquid – the white-red film will immediately separate from the body, and the squid’s mantle will become voluminous.
4. Wait for it to boil again and boil the squid for 2-2.5 minutes over high heat without covering the pan with a lid.
5. After the specified time, cover the pan with a lid and remove from heat.

Leave the clams to cool in the hot water for 10 minutes, then transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Rinse the carcasses under running water while rolling off the remaining film with your hands. Clean out the insides, remove the chord and rinse again. After this, the squid is ready for further consumption.

Processing the carcass after cooking

In order to improve the taste of the finished squid, you can add various spices, herbs or vegetables to the brine for cooking them. The most commonly used are allspice or black pepper, ground paprika and hot chili, cardamom, cloves or marjoram.

You can add chopped onions, leeks or shallots, carrots, garlic cloves, fresh dill, parsley, basil or cilantro into the water for boiling shellfish. These additives will harmoniously emphasize the delicate taste of squid, making it even more refined and expressive.

After cooking, shellfish carcasses do not require any processing; they are already ready to eat. Ready squid can be served with various side dishes:

• paste;
• rice;
• shrimps;
• fried mushrooms;
• cheeses;
• boiled potatoes;
• fresh or stewed vegetables.

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Pictures A seafood dish goes well with tomato, sour cream or cream, onion, garlic or soy sauce. When serving, the finished squid can be decorated with sprigs of fresh herbs, lemon slices, olives, black olives or cherry tomatoes.

Squid is a tasty and healthy seafood product that is widely used in cooking in many countries. They are highly valued due to their exquisite taste, juicy and tender meat structure, as well as ease of preparation. Boiling shellfish has several subtleties and secrets that allow you to preserve the softness and excellent taste of the squid.