How to cook squid correctly until done: useful tips

There are many ways to prepare squid. It is equally delicious grilled, fried, stuffed or boiled in salads.

The trick to cooking squid is to cook it very quickly on a high temperature or very slowly on a low temperature so that the meat will be tender.

Selection and preparation

When purchasing this seafood, you need to consider the following points:

Delicacy fillet color. It should be light and remain the same after cooking.
It is better to choose unpeeled seafood, they are of higher quality. It is advisable to choose chilled squid, otherwise you need to be sure of proper transportation and freezing.
Do not take a delicacy that has been frozen several times (this will be indicated by the squid sticking together and their significant fragility). If you defrost a carcass and then freeze it again, the product will taste nasty and fall apart after cooking.
You should not buy frozen shellfish cut into cubes. It will be a low-quality delicacy with a disgusting smell and taste.

Of the entire squid, the following parts can be used for food:

carcass;
fins;
tentacles.

The internal organs, cartilage called gladius, and the head are also unsuitable for consumption.

Often the carcasses of this seafood on store shelves are already cleaned, which makes them easiest to cook. Before cooking the tentacles, they should be cleaned. This is very difficult to do, because they are quite soft and delicate, and are also covered with many suction cups.

The body of the delicacy is covered with skin and thin skin. If the skin comes off during cooking, it is advisable to remove the film, as it will cause inconvenience when chewing. To easily remove the skin, frozen carcasses must be doused with boiling water.

Sometimes even a delicacy that has not disappeared can emit a nasty smell. This happens when proper storage conditions are violated. To cope with the nasty smell, you should put fresh herbs in a deep bowl with water in which the squid will be boiled, or add lemon juice to the already cooked seafood.

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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.

Cleaning

Usually the delicacy is taken from the store as a whole and raw product, less often - only tentacles. The body is the most tender and appetizing part of the seafood. Before cooking, the frozen carcass should be thawed in cool water.

After defrosting the seafood, the internal organs are removed.
You should hold the tentacles in one hand, and with the other hand you should hold the head, near the eyes, and pull it back. The giblets are removed along with the tentacles.
Next, the mouth of the delicacy is cut out.
Then you need to heat some water and pour it over the product.
This is done so that the skin can be removed without problems. Without boiling water, cleaning with a knife will take a lot of time.
After boiling, the delicacy is divided in the middle, and the inside is cleaned of chitinous plates and remains of internal organs so that a bitter taste does not appear.

Cleaning the carcass from internal organs and skin is a slightly troublesome procedure, because of this it is preferable to take already boiled, peeled seafood. And it is advisable to purchase in trusted hypermarkets or retail outlets where there is control over the quality and freshness of delicacies.

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How to choose the perfect delicacy

There are chilled and frozen squids. Residents of latitudes far from the sea are better off giving preference to chilled carcass. In any case, you should pay attention to four parameters.

Form. Each carcass must be smooth, without dents or bends. Damage indicates re-freezing, which is unacceptable. It is unknown how long and where the squid lay before it was re-frozen. A stale product, even with strict adherence to the preparation technology, will turn out “rubbery” and bitter.
Smell. Frozen high-quality squid does not smell of anything. Only a subtle aroma is allowed. It is better to leave a carcass that emits a strong fishy smell in the store.
Elasticity. The clam meat is elastic, glossy in appearance, without roughness or damage. If the pulp falls off in your hands or tears at any touch, the product is not fresh.
Color. Fresh squid has a pleasant pink-brown color. Violet and grayish shades are allowed. The inside of the mollusk is always white. Yellowness is characteristic of stale, old goods.

Experienced chefs advise buying unpeeled squid. This will make it easier to determine the freshness of the product. Due to the lack of skin, it is difficult to understand how long the squid has been in the store.

Cooking frozen

The manufacturing method can also vary depending on the type of seafood consumed. In retail outlets it is sold freshly caught, frozen or boiled-frozen.

How to defrost squid? If the seafood was purchased frozen, it will need to be defrosted. Then you will need to put it in the refrigerator for 24 hours, transferring it to a deep container.

It is possible that without defrosting the shellfish, the cooking procedure will then increase slightly. Transfer the frozen seafood to boiled and salted water and leave to cook for 3-4 minutes. At the end of the set time, they do not need to be immediately removed from the container; the product must be left for an additional 3 minutes, then removed from the container, allowed to cool and processed.

Some chefs believe that it is preferable not to clean the carcasses before boiling, as this way they retain a large amount of useful substances.

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How to cook squid correctly

Properly prepared and cleaned seafood will decorate the table on weekdays and holidays. They are added to salads, casseroles, pizzas and eaten as a separate dish. To avoid disappointment and enjoy their taste, you need to know some cooking rules:

Unpeeled fresh squid is more flavorful, tender and tasty.
The film is an indicator of freshness. It should have a uniform pink or purple color.
The easiest way to get rid of the film is to pour boiling water over the clam.
After cooking, the product is reduced by 2 times.
To allow it to cool quickly, immerse it immediately or rinse it under cold water.
A tablespoon of olive oil added during the cooking process will relieve dryness after cooking and make the meat tender.
Boil immediately before use.
The fresh ingredient is boiled in a saucepan for no more than 2 minutes. Microwave – 3 minutes. In a double boiler – 7 minutes. In a slow cooker - 2 minutes and leave for an additional 3 minutes.

Cooking fresh carcass

If you are using a fresh carcass, then you only need to carefully wash and remove the skin. Things are more difficult when cooking frozen carcasses. Before you start cooking the squid, you will need to defrost it properly, since its taste will directly depend on this. Do not pour boiling or hot water over frozen squid to speed up the procedure. This can destroy all the beneficial components of the seafood, and also noticeably worsens the taste.

To properly defrost carcasses, they must be placed in the refrigerator, where they will thaw slowly. After a couple of hours (without allowing complete thawing), remove them from the refrigerator. These clams are easy to clean and will retain all their nutritional properties.

How to make it soft

Some housewives do not know how to properly cook seafood, which is why they try to avoid making culinary masterpieces when this component is present. Still, this is a fairly easy procedure that does not require any special skills. It is important to avoid prolonged cooking of the delicacy. If you leave the carcasses in boiling water for a long time longer than the set time, instead of the most tender and soft delicacy you will get a hard and tasteless one. How long to cook squid? It depends on how you want to cook the seafood.

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Peeled

This delicious delicacy is cooked very simply and quickly. How to cook cleaned carcasses:

Water is poured into the saucepan, then you will need to wait until it boils;
After boiling, you need to add salt and seasonings;
After defrosting and cleaning the delicacy, place it in boiled liquid for a couple of minutes. (the fillet should turn out white), then drain the water;
If the seafood has been overcooked, place the container on the fire for another 30 minutes. – during this half an hour the meat will again become juicy and soft;
A boiled delicacy, it will need to be cut into rings and possibly served with beer drinks.

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Unrefined

How to cook carcasses with film? There are no significant differences between the options for preparing unpeeled and raw carcasses - the only difference is the time required for complete readiness. How to cook seafood in skin:

First you need to defrost the shellfish;
then place a saucepan with liquid on the stove;
after the water boils, you need to add salt, bay leaf, pepper;
Next, place the seafood in a container with liquid, turn off the gas and close the pan with a lid so that the steam does not leave it;
in 10 minutes. you need to remove the boiled carcasses from the liquid.

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Video on how to prepare and cook squid for salad

How to cook squid correctly

for preparing salads and snacks

What's wrong with squid sold already cleaned?

In large stores you can buy cleaned carcasses (we are not talking about canned ones, of course), which many housewives are very happy about. But seafood without skin is a dubious pleasure. The thing is that cleaning must be done only by hand, since using the equipment damages the carcass. It is clear that no one will do this on a production scale. Manufacturers use special compounds that simply corrode the shell. Alas, after such “barbarity” seafood loses up to 80% of its nutrients and up to 50% of its taste.

To enjoy the bright taste of squid in salad, purchase unpeeled carcasses. It is advisable that the shellfish be frozen. By purchasing fresh rings or fillets, you risk your health. The thing is that shellfish are perishable ingredients. Therefore, they need to be frozen or treated with chemicals that will extend their “life.” Conclusion: fresh rings and fillets cannot be healthy, as they contain many harmful substances.

However, first things first. How to properly cook unpeeled and peeled squid, how to easily clean them, and how to correct the situation if the salad component turns out to be tough - read below.

In a steamer

If you figure out in advance how long to cook the shellfish in a double boiler, it will be easy to cook delicious and tender meat.

First you need to fill the liquid reservoir, add salt and spices.
Next, you will need to transfer the products into the steamer tray in one row.
So you need to boil the delicacy for 7 minutes.

Reference! After the product is cooked, it is possible to make a nutritious culinary dish out of it. It is recommended to fry the meat with potatoes or rice; I made a side dish.

How to cook squid rings in a cauldron?

You can cook in an original way in nature. In order not to bother with cleaning, it is worth purchasing ready-cleaned carcasses of the delicacy in the store.

Ingredients:

Black pepper.
Non-fat sour cream 400 ml.
Onions 3 pcs. Tomatoes 3 pcs.
Salt 1 teaspoon.
Vegetable oil 2 tablespoons.

Preparation:

Prepare the fire and heat the cauldron.

Fry the onion over low heat for a few minutes until golden brown.

Add a teaspoon of salt.

Black pepper 1/2.

Place the finished rings to cook.

Mix everything thoroughly and boil for 5-7 minutes.

You don't have to cook in hot water.

In the microwave

This seafood can still be made not only on the stove, but also in the microwave. It’s fast, convenient and you don’t have to stand over the container with a slotted spoon, counting the minutes.

Clean the squid and immediately remove the internal organs.
Pour water into a microwave-safe container and add spices.
Boil in the stove. Omit the processed seafood. The liquid should completely cover it.
Set the power to maximum and the timer to 90 seconds.
When the procedure is complete, remove the fillet from the liquid and transfer to a plate to cool.
Afterwards you can start preparing the salad.

The good thing about a microwave oven is that you can immediately prepare a full meal in it. For example, this. Cut the carcass fillet into strips. Transfer to the mold. Sprinkle with soy sauce. Add cloves and paprika. Set the power to maximum for 90 seconds. A few minutes. and the most delicate culinary masterpiece - a delicacy in its own juice - is ready.

Carcass preparation

Cooking does not take much time if a chilled carcass is used. In the case of a frozen product, everything is somewhat more complicated: you need to first defrost it and be able to clean the shellfish at home.

Pre-defrost

There is no need to defrost squid in the microwave or using hot water. The product must thaw gradually, naturally. Three defrosting methods are allowed.

In cold water. Place the carcass in a bowl of cold water and leave until completely defrosted.
At room temperature. Leave the squid in a deep container on the kitchen counter away from heaters.
In a refrigerator. Place the carcass on the bottom tier of the refrigerator and leave until completely defrosted.

Video on the topic How to clean squid easily and simply

Quick cleaning

Whole squid must be cleaned. The entrails, transparent chord, head, and beak are removed. Tentacles and fins are good for food, but should not be thrown away. When the carcass is cleaned from the inside, it is necessary to clean the squid from the film before or after cooking. You can remove the skin in one of three ways.

"Fresh" cleaning. Place the carcass on a cutting board and press down with your palm. Use a knife to pry the film off the cut edge. Using your thumb, peel the skin off the meat like a stocking. If the carcass is fresh and has not been re-frozen, the film will be removed without problems. The skin remaining on the meat indicates the questionable quality of the product.
Heat treatment. Scald the half-thawed carcass with hot water, wait for three seconds, drain the liquid and place under a cold stream. It is recommended to prepare two containers with hot and ice liquid in advance, and take turns using a slotted spoon to lower and remove the squid. After this treatment, the skin will begin to curl. Removing it will not be difficult.
After cooking. It is allowed to clean the squid from the film in the finished state. Unpeeled squid is cooked according to the same principle as peeled squid. But before slicing, the skin must be removed. The "dressed" squid is quite tough and tasteless.

After all manipulations, do not forget to rinse the fillet with cool water. The remaining entrails will give the cooked squid an unpleasant bitterness.

In a slow cooker

Peculiarity. Cooking squid in a slow cooker will take about 30 minutes. On the displays you need to press the “Cooking” mode and follow the algorithm below. Otherwise, the most tender fillet will be completely spoiled. If everything is done correctly, then in the end you will prepare a dish that is no worse than the classic one - cooked on the stove.

Cooking algorithm:

Place salt and seasonings in the multicooker bowl, add water, press the “Cooking” mode on the display and boil the water.
After boiling, place the carcasses or seafood rings into a container to defrost, close the multicooker lid and cook for another 2 minutes.
At the end of the set time, turn off the multicooker and cook for another 3 minutes. keep it under a closed lid. The seafood is ready.

TOP 3 main ways to cook squid

The most important thing to remember when boiling squid is that it needs to be cooked very quickly. This is the only way you will be able to achieve a completely soft and elastic texture.

Cooking squid with spices (for salad)

✍ Ingredients:

1 kg squid (fresh or frozen);
0.9 l hot water;
1 tbsp. l. salt;
1 clove of minced garlic;
1 bay leaf.

Preparation:

Peel and thoroughly wash the squid to remove skin and entrails.
Add salt, garlic, bay leaf to boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes.
Place the squid in boiling water. Cover and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until the squid is tender.
Drain and rinse the carcasses in cold running water.

You can prepare it in a similar way, only without cooking. To do this, place the squid in boiling water with spices, close the lid and turn off the heat. The meat will become soft. After 10 minutes, the carcasses should be removed with a slotted spoon and rinsed in cold water.

Cooking squid in a double boiler

✍ Ingredients:

3-4 squid carcasses (fresh or frozen);
bay leaf and black peppercorns - optional.

Preparation:

Place the prepared squid carcasses into a steamer bowl.
Pour hot water into the liquid compartment, add 3-4 black peppercorns and 1 bay leaf.
Set the cooking mode to 10 minutes.
After cooking, place the carcasses in cold water for 5 minutes, remove and let the water drain.

A similar method can be prepared in a steam bath. Add spices to boiling water, place the squid carcasses in a metal sieve or colander and simmer for 5 minutes. After this, rinse in cold water.

Cooking squid in the microwave

✍ Ingredients:

3-4 squid carcasses (fresh or frozen);
80 ml. water;
2 tbsp. l. lemon juice;
salt to taste.

Preparation:

Cleaned and washed squid carcasses, pat dry with a paper towel and place in a microwave-safe container.
Add lemon juice and salt to the water. Pour the contents of the clams and cover with a lid.
Set the oven to maximum power, cook the contents for 1.5-2 minutes. Afterwards, the meat should be cooled.

If you decide to cook squid meat in a slow cooker, you will need to make cuts on the carcasses. Then put it in a multicooker container and add 50 ml. water and set the “Quenching” mode for 15 minutes. Afterwards, the meat should be cooled.

"Cold start"

Place the cleaned carcasses into a container with cold water. After the water warms up, add a little salt, and after boiling, immediately turn it off and remove the product.

Like many other seafood products, squid does not tolerate heat treatment. If you boil such a delicacy for a long time, the fillet will turn out to be quite tough.

The main thing is not to miss the moment of boiling. It is required not to move away from the container at all.

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Preparing seafood for cooking

Before you cook squid for salad, you need to prepare it. Carcasses should be properly defrosted so as not to spoil the quality of the future dish. To defrost, place them in cold water until they are completely thawed. Now you need to figure out how to clean and cook squid. The first step is to clean the inside of the squid from the chitinous plate and remaining entrails, and also remove the outer film. To make it easily move away from the carcass, the squid should either be poured with boiling water or immersed in boiling water for a few seconds. After this procedure, the thin film is easily removed, and the squids are washed with running water. Now our product is ready for further manipulation. How to properly cook squid for salad? More on this later.

Pouring boiling water

Culinary experts are sure that the correct method for cooking a carcass is to pour boiling water over it. Then it remains juicy, tender and will not be overcooked. But first, the squid needs to be cleaned.

The process can be carried out in several ways: on fresh carcasses, hook the skin with a fingernail and remove it. But there is another way - transfer the product into a bowl, pour over hot water and wait 1 minute. Then she will get down herself.

Remove the seafood from the liquid and remove the giblets. Before cooking it must be washed thoroughly. Pour hot water over the delicacy 3 times, leaving it in the container for 1 minute each time.

Boiling carcasses for salad is easy and even a novice cook can do it. It is important to choose a more optimal method and not exceed the cooking time. If you break this rule, the fillet will look like a rubber shoe.

Combined

The highlight of this method is that the seafood is cooked immediately. The skin removal stage is combined with the cooking procedure.

Salt boiling water: approximately 1 tbsp. spoon for 3 l. water.
Throw frozen squid at it. There you can watch how the mantles of the carcasses become large and the white-red film, which is bitter, peels off from them.
It is necessary to wait until the suspended boil continues and set the timer for 2-3 minutes. The carcasses are boiled in boiling water, with the lid open.
At the end of the set time, the container must be removed from the stove and covered with a lid.
The squids need to be cooled for 10–15 minutes.
Afterwards, wash it under running water, remove the remaining skin, internal organs and film.

As a way, you can immediately transfer the delicacy to a bowl of cool water, thus stopping the heat treatment.

It is possible to make salads from cooked carcasses, fry them into rings in batter, and stuff them with various fillings.

The described methods for preparing seafood are quite simple and require a minimum of time.

TOP 4 delicious salads with squid

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

See also: Vitamin salad: how to make a vitamin salad

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:

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.
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.
Add frying oil, onions and mushrooms to a preheated frying pan. Fry until done.
Chop walnuts and garlic, grate cheese, cut squid into narrow strips.
Mix all ingredients and season with mayonnaise and garlic.
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:

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

How to process boiled squid

If you boil seafood in film, cool it first. After cooling, you need to go over them with a soft kitchen brush, holding them under running water. When rubbed, the film collects and peels off. This option is used directly in cases where shellfish are then boiled in spicy or salty marinades.

Disadvantage: Carcass fillet may lose its unique taste and softness if cooked for a long time.

Important! It is possible to boil only frozen and processed foods in which the tentacles and head have already been separated, and the internal organs and film have been removed from them to remove the bitter taste.

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Cook the squid for ten seconds

To understand how to cook squid for salad correctly, you need to try several different methods and choose the ones that are most acceptable to you.

In some cases, 10 seconds is enough for the carcass to reach readiness. According to this recipe, squids need to be immersed in boiling water for 10 seconds, to which 1 tablespoon of salt, a few peppercorns and a couple of laurel leaves have been added. It is better to boil each carcass separately so as not to overcook it in boiling water. After each carcass, you need to wait for the water to boil again and place the next squid there.

What to cook from seafood meat

Usually, the carcass fillet is cut into salads, but it is also possible to use it as a separate dish, sprinkling it with a little lemon juice. Stuffed delicacy bodies can be made with different fillings, and it is also possible to prepare anything that can be prepared from simple meat: meatballs, cutlets, bun fillings, etc.

Salad from this seafood is not made in a bowl in large quantities. This is a healthy delicacy with specific taste qualities, which is why the main component in this salad is the cephalopod.

You need to put more of it, the rest of the ingredients - significantly less. You should not try to increase the amount of food at the expense of rice, cucumbers, vegetables or other products.

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