HOW TO CLEAN SQUID(CALAMARI).

How to clean and prepare squid or calamari to make your favourite dishes.

With a little patience and expertise, you can clean squid effortlessly at home and freeze them for use anytime.

You can buy the smaller or bigger variety of squid(calamari) but prepping them to cook will be the same process.

Once you learn to clean fresh squid, you can start cooking your favorite seafood from calamari stir fries to crispy calamari rings and many more.

SQUID VS CALAMARI AND CUTTLEFISH.

If you are wondering why there are different words for squid, it is because they belong to the same species and any species(squid, calamari, cuttlefish) can be used to make your favourite squid dish.

The taste and texture would be the same except for the size.

Squid has a tubular body, ten tentacles, and a transparent quill inside the body cavity.

Cuttlefish and calamari have a broader body, a larger internal bone called a cuttlebone, and a different arrangement of tentacles compared to squid.

HOW TO COOK SQUID(CALAMARI).

Here are a few ways to cook squid that you might enjoy.

Curries: you can make various types of seafood curries using squid.
Try this Sri Lankan squid curry or make a Thai or Indian squid curry with a base of creamy coconut milk.

Sautee: Season a few rings of squid with salt, pepper, and lime juice and saute them over high heat in a little oil.

Fry: squid(calamari) can be coated in batter and deep fried. This can be served as a starter with some dipping sauce.

Seafood-themed rice dishes: seafood biryani, paella, and seafood fried rice all include squid rings to add flavour to the dish.

BUYING, cleaning, COOKING AND STORING SQUID.

Buying squid.

Make sure to buy fresh squid. The eyes should be clear, not grey or reddish.
The outer skin is shiny and not pale in colour. No bad odor.

Cleaning.

Cleaning squid is unpleasant. You might want to wear disposable gloves(optional) if you feel squeamish handling the raw and slippery texture of the squid.

Have a separate container to remove the waste immediately to keep the space clear.
You will need to clean the surface constantly with kitchen paper towels.

While cleaning the squid cavity, remove the ink sac carefully avoiding it from exploding on your hand and splattering your clothes.

Different ways to cut the squid(calamari).

Use a sharp knife. Place the squid on a dry surface and wipe any moisture on the squid before cutting into them.

Please be aware that the squid can be slippery so have a firm hold on it before slicing into it.

Slice them into rings. This is used mostly for stir-frying, frying, and for curries.

Cut the squid into rectangular pieces and score them with lines that cross each other.

Storing

Store the squid in the freezer. Remove the squid for one hour before cooking the squid. Wipe them with kitchen paper towels before you start slicing them.

If you have extra cleaned squid place them in a container, freeze them, and use them within a week. Remember to defrost them before cooking them.

SQUID(CALAMARI) RECIPES.

Sri Lankan squid curry.

Squid recipes.

Utensils and appliances to clean squid.

3 large bowls to hold and use while cleaning the squid.

Cutting board

Sharp knife

Kitchen paper towels

Disposable gloves

recipe overview on how to clean squid

Ingredients you will need.

1 teaspoon of Turmeric powder(used twice in 1/2 teaspoon quantity)

2 teaspoons of salt(to be used twice in 1 teaspoon quantity)

Place the squid on a chopping board or firm surface.

Use a kitchen paper towel to remove any moisture.

HOW TO CLEAN SQUID STEP BY STEP.

Start by holding the squid’s body in one hand and the head in the other.
Gently twist and pull the head away from the body.

Set aside the head of the squid for now, and concentrate on the squid’s body.

Still holding the body of the squid.

Press from the bottom upwards removing any remaining waste within the cavity.

Insert your finger of the other hand inside the body of the squid.

Touch and identify a firm material inside the squid.
Once you find the plastic-like quill, gently pull it off and remove it from the squid’s body.

To remove the skin of the squid, gently peel off from the top of the squid.

Gradually peel off the skin from the top to the bottom.
Remove any remaining skin which will leave you with the white body of the squid.

Once the skin is removed, wash off any remaining waste inside the squid.

If you really need to be thorough about it slice from the middle to part the squid and wash away the remaining waste within the open cavity.

Cut both the fins of the squid and discard.

How to clean the head of the squid.

Place the squid head with its innards on the chopping board.

Gently cut off the head of the squid, detach it from the rest of the other parts and discard them.

Wipe off any ink that spills off the head using a kitchen paper towel.

What is left is the head with the beak within it.

Locate the small hard bone(also known as the beak) within the centre of the tentacles.

Remove this by pushing so that the small bone pops out.

You’ve completed cleaning the parts of the squid and you can now start cooking.

Prepping semi-cleaned squid to cook.

If you’ve purchased a semi-cleaned calamari in which the head and tentacles are removed, here’s how to clean it.

Remove the transparent skin of the calamari.

Usually, you will find the quill already removed, however, if it is still intact remove it.

Place the squid on the cutting board, slice it open and scrape any residue slime left.

How to wash the squid.

Place the squid in a large bowl.

You can do this under running water, or submerge the squid in water.

Add 1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon of salt into the bowl of squid

Mix and rinse them for a few seconds and then completely drain.

How to cut the squid.

Once you’ve washed the squid.

Completely drain or pat dry the squid with kitchen paper towels and then slice them into rings.

How to cut a large squid.

Spread the large and clean squid.

Cut them horizontally and then diagonally to the required size.

You can also do a crosshatch design before cutting them into the required size.

Place the squid in a bowl, and add water.

Add remaining Turmeric and salt and rinse for a couple of minutes.

Now that you’ve washed the squid, drain the water completely and make your favourite squid(calamari) recipe.