Which squid is better to buy: peeled or not?
If you want to buy a “no-hassle” product, buy cleaned squid. But if you need tasty and healthy seafood, choose only unpeeled carcasses.
There are about ten types of squid on the Russian seafood market, but only a few of them deserve attention. Komandorsky squid is considered one of the best. Appearance: Uncleaned carcass. Length: 35 cm. Skin color: gray with purple, uneven. Supplier: Russia.
Patagonian squid is also highly prized. Appearance: unpeeled carcass 2-23 cm long. Skin color: red-brown, brown, uneven. Supplier: Spain.
In general, the color of squid depends on the type of cephalopod and can be grayish-white (but not grey), pink, blue, or purple.
We not only cook, but also fry
Squid is a versatile product from which you can make a lot of delicious dishes. All of them are very diverse and not so difficult to prepare. And now you will see this.
So, you have a squid on your table. We figured out how to clean and cook it, let's now find out how to fry it properly.
You might be surprised, but shellfish should be boiled before frying. To do this, use one of the methods described above. Next, cut them into rings or into strips. Dip each piece in a beaten egg sauce with salt, sour cream and spices, roll in breadcrumbs and fry in vegetable oil, or better yet, butter, but no more than five minutes.
Squids baked in the oven or on a wire rack are wonderful. But for this cooking option, they must first be marinated for several hours. You can use lemon juice, garlic, pepper and paprika as a marinade. Then the shellfish are placed on a wire rack and baked, pouring over the remaining liquid.
As a rule, inexperienced cooks are interested in how to properly clean squid: before or after cooking? Of course before, just by first dousing them with boiling water. Knowing this simple secret, you can easily cope with preparing any shellfish dish.
How to choose chilled and frozen squid?
Important: the younger the squid, the more tender its meat. Choose small carcasses.
What to look for when choosing chilled squid:
- The carcass is dense and elastic.
- The color of the meat under the skin is only white!
- The skin is intact, without obvious damage.
- Squids must have a chitinous chord (spine).
- Smell: fresh fish. A faint ammonia odor may be present.
What to look for when choosing frozen squid:
- The amount of ice on the carcass is 8% of the total weight of the cephalopod.
- Frozen carcasses are easily separated from each other.
- The color of the meat under the skin is only white!
- The skin is intact, without obvious damage.
Cleaning whole frozen carcasses
To clean whole frozen carcasses, they must first be thawed. Then separate the tentacles and head from the body, remove the entrails and chitinous core, and pull off the skin under running water.
Proper defrosting
You can defrost squid correctly using the following gentle methods:
- Transfer the carcasses from the freezer to the refrigerator compartment and wait until completely thawed. However, it is not advisable to place a bag of frozen food in a container of water.
- Leave the clams on an open surface at room temperature. This way they will retain their beneficial nutritional qualities and delicate taste.
It is not allowed to defrost squid meat in a microwave oven, steamed, in hot water or using heating appliances.
How to easily and quickly clean fresh and defrosted squid at home?
Procedure for cleaning fresh/chilled squid:
- Place the squid on a work surface.
How to quickly and easily clean fresh squid: step 1
- Take the clam's head just behind the eyes (where it connects to the mantle). Pull your head forward, breaking the ligaments. The insides should slide out. Be careful not to damage the ink (sepia) bag.
How to quickly and easily clean fresh squid: step 2
- Find the chitinous chord inside the mantle and remove it.
How to quickly and easily clean fresh squid: step 3
- Remove the top film by carefully prying it off with a knife.
How to quickly and easily clean fresh squid: step 4
- Rinse and, if necessary, divide into portions.
How to quickly and easily clean fresh squid: step 5
- Cut off the clam's tentacles and place them separately. Remove the squid's beak located between the tentacles. Pour boiling water over the tentacles and place them in ice water. Rinse, rubbing thoroughly with your fingers to remove the thin skin.
How to quickly and easily clean fresh squid: step 6
Procedure for cleaning defrosted squid:
Important: Frozen squids should be thawed by placing them in cold water.
- Pour boiling water over slightly thawed squid carcasses. Leave for 30-60 s.
- Remove the squid from the boiling water and place it in ice water. Due to a sharp change in temperature, the skin peels off on its own.
Rinse the squid under running water, removing any remaining skin.
Stuffed squid
First, the squid is cleaned, and then each carcass is beaten. Then you need to stuff the carcass halfway with minced meat. For filling you can take eggs with mushrooms, rice with vegetables, cheese and shrimp, apples and cottage cheese. The edges of the squid can be secured with toothpicks, and then simmered in the oven in a small amount of liquid. A couple of minutes before they are ready, you can sprinkle them with cheese and put them back in the oven to form a tanned crust. When finished, the dish can be topped with wine, cream, sour cream, nut or tomato sauce.
Don't be surprised to find unusual combinations of ingredients in many recipes. For example, squid with crab sticks and corn, with minced meat, sprat and bread, dried fruits and nuts.
Any national cuisine has a lot of its own secrets for preparing shellfish. But you always need to remember one rule. Do not overload such dishes with spices. The main ingredient has the ability to actively absorb all surrounding odors. Therefore, your culinary masterpiece may turn out to be too rich.
Cooked seafood itself is not everything; you need to choose the right side dish for it. For example, vegetables, rice, pasta. Then decorate the finished dish with herbs, lemon, and olives. Then the dish will turn out to be harmonious and unique.
How to cook peeled squid in water after boiling for salad and how long?
- Squids are cooked one or two carcasses at a time to prevent overcooking of the seafood.
- Spices and seasonings used when preparing squid: salt, peppercorns, dill. If desired, you can also add basil or parsley.
- Pour 1.5-2 liters of water into a saucepan, add spices and salt, bring to a boil.
- Place the cleaned squid carcasses into boiling water. Cooking time: 2 min.
- Remove seafood from water and add next batch. Ready seafood should be cooled immediately.
Important: if you cook a lot of shellfish, add water, salt and spices from time to time.
Chef Ilya Lazerson offers an interesting way to clean and prepare squid. A detailed master class can be watched in the video at the end of the article.
Time matters
We have already figured out how to clean squid. How long to cook squid remains to be seen. And this is how it is done. A pot of pepper, salt and, of course, bay leaf are placed in the water. Next, you need to wait until the liquid boils, then you need to lower the carcass into it for literally ten seconds and quickly remove it. You need to do this with each piece.
Difficult? Not at all. However, that's not all. It would seem, what else should the hostess do to prepare these seafood, other than peel and cook? Squid, especially when properly cooked, is a delicious delicacy. But in order to feed your relatives exactly this, and not “rubber,” it is advisable to practice. This requires skill. Try to cook the shellfish at least a couple of times using the method we described above. And you don’t have to spoil the whole carcass, just cut off a couple of pieces. And remember: long-term heat treatment (more than 3 minutes) is contraindicated! It completely deprives the seafood of any taste, let alone nutritional qualities. The tender meat turns into a piece of sole that is impossible to chew.
That's how capricious it is - a squid. How to clean and cook these cephalopods is probably already clear. But, as they say, there is no limit to perfection, which means we will continue to get acquainted with the tricks of culinary art. So…
Little trick
Imagine a situation where you accidentally overcooked squid and the meat became tough. Dont be upset. It's not all bad. Don't throw away the product right away. There is a little trick that will make the carcass softer. For this squid you need to boil for about an hour. Yes yes exactly! Of course, the mollusk will greatly decrease in size and lose almost all of its beneficial properties, but you will improve the situation. And you will gain your own experience in preparing these inhabitants of the deep sea.
What delicious things can you make from squid?
Most often, squid meat is used to prepare salads, but they can also be served as an independent dish.
Naturally, seafood salads are not prepared in large quantities. This is a delicious and nutritious product that has a specific taste, because the main ingredient is the squid itself. He must prevail. The remaining components should be put in much less.
Recipe for squid salad with rice
We have already figured out how to properly cook and clean squid for salad. Let's now look at a few recipes.
To prepare, take:
- Rice – 100 g.
- Eggs – 3 pcs.
- Squid (preferably fillet) – 250 g.
- Green peas (canned) – ½ jar.
- Dill greens - one bunch.
- Salt and pepper are added to your taste.
- Sour cream with mayonnaise.
To prepare, boil the rice. Clean and boil the squid using one of the above methods. Then we cut them into rings. Chop the boiled eggs and mix with squid and peas. Mix sour cream with mayonnaise for dressing, add salt and pepper, and chopped herbs. Mix all ingredients and add sauce. Now the salad is ready.
