How to clean frozen unpeeled squids. Calamari stuffed with rice and mushrooms

There are many ways to cook squid dishes. They are stewed, fried, baked, stuffed. Experienced housewives constantly pamper their household and guests gourmet dishes from this marine life. But many women do not know how to clean squid and do not cook this product. In fact, the process is not as scary as it might seem, and you can clean the carcass very quickly.

How to quickly clean squid?

How to clean a squid, video

Most Russian housewives rarely manage to buy fresh squid in the store, as a rule, we bring them home frozen. If, nevertheless, you managed to find a fresh marine life, then first of all you need to wash it and cut off its head, slashing it with a knife next to the squid's eyes. The insides are easily removed if, grasping the chord, pull it towards you with one hand, holding the body of the squid with the other.

The most difficult moment for housewives is how to quickly clean squid from films. This marine inhabitant has a thin and thick layer of skin, which, without knowing the tricky secrets, is long and difficult to remove. There are 2 ways how to do it:

defrosting the squid and dipping it in boiling water;
arrange a “contrast bath” for a marine inhabitant of hot and cold water.

From a sharp change in hot and cold temperatures, the skin itself is separated from the carcass, and you just have to remove it completely.

How to quickly clean squids?

Since fresh squids are rarely found in our stores, we will learn how to quickly clean frozen ones. This is a finished carcass, from which the insides and films need to be removed.

Take the squid out of the freezer and let it thaw completely.
Remove the insides.
Boil water in a saucepan and prepare a bowl of cold water.
Using a slotted spoon, dip the squid in boiling water for a few seconds and immediately transfer to cold water.
Fresh squid can simply be poured over with boiling water, which will give the same effect.

After contrast procedures, the skin on the squid carcass will burst and wrinkle. Now just pull the rags, and they will obediently slide off the carcass.

By adhering to these rules and tips, you can quickly clean squid:

We clean the squid carcasses only after defrosting.
Defrost them in the refrigerator or at room temperature. We do not use steam, water and other methods of thermal influence. They will spoil the taste of the product, as well as its smell and structure.
We clean the squids carefully and slowly, otherwise gaps form.
Some housewives clean squids after they are boiled. When cooking shellfish with skin and entrails, we run the risk of spoiling the taste, smell and appearance meat.

Squid dishes are very tasty and healthy. Their meat is combined with a variety of products, which allows you to experiment and create incredible culinary masterpieces. And they are very easy and quick to clean.

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To clean the squid from the film, there are several options. Each housewife, having tried each of them, will be able to choose the most suitable and convenient technology for herself, and subsequently spend a small amount of time cleaning carcasses.

cold way

One of the most common ways to peel squid from the film is to use the cold method. This technique is only suitable for freshly caught or properly frozen seafood.

Carcass cleaning sequence:

We take the carcass and gently pry the film from one edge.
The film must be removed from all sides gradually, as if removing a stocking.
We clean the internal cavity - the chord.

The carcass has been cleaned.

hot way

For frozen seafood, the most common way to clean squid is to use the hot method. In it, seafood carcasses are subjected to short-term heat treatment.

The procedure for cleaning a carcass with a head and tentacles using the hot method:

Defrost carcasses. To do this, put the frozen seafood in a bowl and put it in the refrigerator or on the table. We are expecting a complete breakdown.
By pulling the head of the carcass, you clean the seafood from the insides.
Cut off the tentacles at eye level.
At this stage, the beak is removed.

Inside the carcass there is a transparent spine. It's a little hard, so it's not hard to find it. We delete it.
Only after all the previous points have been completed, the squid is ready to clean the film.
Wash the carcasses thoroughly in large numbers water. Rinse the insides and dry them with dry paper towels.
We take a deep pan, pour boiling water there and immediately lower the carcass. We leave for two minutes. During this period of time, the film will depart, and the meat will not be cooked.
Under the influence of hot water, the film curls up. As a result, under the pressure of running water, you can easily solve the problem of how to clean squids.

Another common way to peel squid from the film is to use contrasting water temperatures. Its essence is very simple:

To do this, you need to clean and rinse the carcasses.
Put the seafood in a bowl, pour boiling water over it and immediately transfer it to a basin with ice water and a small amount of ice cubes.

Thanks to this “contrast shower” for seafood, the film will come off, the meat will not be cooked and the cleaning problem will be solved.

If the squid is purchased whole carcass with a head and tentacles, then it is first butchered. To do this, they cut off the head, grope and take out a solid “beak” from it. The head itself and the tentacles are not thrown away, it can be used in salads, soups and second courses. The entrails are carefully removed from the body of the squid. After that, it remains to clean the carcasses from the colored skin. You can do this according to the diagram below.

It is more profitable to buy cut, frozen, but not peeled squid carcasses from the upper skin.

1. Get a transparent cartilaginous arrow from the carcasses. This is a vestige of the inner shell.

2. If there are remnants of internal organs, they must also be removed. After that, put the carcasses in a suitable pan and pour boiling water over them.

3. The upper skin will curl up, it remains only to rinse the clam and use it in various dishes.

Very fast and you can cook fried squid. For one serving of fried squid you need:

two peeled squid mantles;
3-4 g of salt;
2 g black pepper, ground;
30 ml of oil.

1. Cut the clam mantle on one side and lay it out on the table. Make shallow cuts with a mesh. Drizzle with oil, salt, sprinkle with pepper.

2. After a quarter of an hour, heat the pan without oil. It is convenient to use either a grill pan or non-stick cookware.

3. Put the squid in a hot pan. First, put it on the side where the cuts are, and after 40 - 50 seconds, turn it over to the other side.

Another minute later fried squid ready. Give them the shape of a tube and serve with any sauce.

For two servings of squid salad you need;

300 g of peeled squid;
70 g mayonnaise;
pepper to taste.

1. Place the cleaned squid in a saucepan. Fill with cold water. Heat up to a boil. Cook for 1-2 minutes and immediately remove the pan from the heat, and immediately remove the boiled clam from the hot water.

2. Cut the cooled squid into rings.

3. Add pepper and mayonnaise. Mix and serve.

I must add that many seafood are quite expensive. Squids are the most budgetary of them, they are available to most consumers. The taste of these clams, properly prepared, is excellent and dishes from them should be on the family menu.

With even a little experience, you can cope with this task in just a couple of minutes. With the right approach, the skin is removed like a stocking, with one movement of the hand.

When purchasing whole marine life, you need to be prepared for the fact that they will have to be cleaned on their own. The algorithm of actions is slightly different depending on whether you got fresh or frozen carcasses.

The squid carcass is completely covered with a film that must be removed. Why do it? The fact is that when cooked, it becomes very hard, literally rubber, and spoils the taste of the product. Peel off the skin fresh squid very simple, just grab the skin along the edges of the calf and pull, it will come off the so-called stocking.

On store shelves, squids that have been frozen are most often found. The main condition for their successful cleaning: first, the carcass must be thawed. Then we act according to the instructions.

There are several secrets to help you quickly remove the film from the squid.

Before carving the squid, defrost it. Ice cream film raw product practically unremovable.
Pay attention to the color of the carcass: whites without pink patches are easier to clean.
Use a stiff brush to remove the skin: rub the surface of the squid and the film will come off.

After cleaning from the film, the carcasses must be thoroughly washed, boiled whole or cut. The method of cooking squid depends on the chosen dish.

Squid is a delicious and healthy seafood. Do not be afraid to diversify your diet with it, because cleaning and preparing it is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance.

The process is incredibly simple.

Prepare a pot of boiling water.
Take the squid out freezer and put them in a bowl.
Pour boiling water over seafood. At the same time, almost all of the skin will come off on its own.
Immediately quickly drain the hot water and rinse the contents of the bowl under running water, carefully peeling off the remaining film. It is better to act quickly, otherwise squids cook very quickly and can even be cooked if they are not removed from boiling water in time.
It remains only to remove the insides and the flexible spine.

There are situations when squids get home already defrosted. summer heat and unforeseen delays along the way should not prevent you from preparing a delicious dish. To do this, you need to perform the following algorithm.

Prepare a pot of boiling water and seasonings (salt, Bay leaf and pepper).
Cut the carcass lengthwise and remove the insides.
Rinse the meat well.
Boil carcasses in seasoned boiling water for 2-3 minutes.
Take out the squid. In this case, the films will remain in the water, calving themselves.

AT ideal your squid must be fresh. But if you live far from the places where it is caught, then you will have to use frozen, which will complicate the process a little and affect the taste of the product. But you don’t have to choose, but you want to serve a mollusk on the table. We will learn how easy it is to peel squid from the film!

If the hostess managed by hook or by crook to get a fresh future decoration of the festive table, then the cutting process becomes a little more complicated. Only the mantle, wings and tentacles are suitable for food, so your seafood must be guillotined, cut off his head just behind the eyes.

How to choose the right squid?

On store shelves, squids are most often found frozen. Choosing a high-quality and fresh product, we adhere to the following rules:

Seafood, during transportation and storage, cannot be thawed, since they cannot be re-frozen. It negatively affects the taste of shellfish meat and complicates their cleaning. Therefore, shellfish carcasses should be separated from each other without problems. If they stuck together or froze to the drawer/freezer, they were re-frozen.
Quality squids have white meat. If it acquired a different shade, for example, pink or gray, the product thawed and the skin "shared its color with the meat." Such a product has already changed its taste for the worse and will be very difficult to clean.
We choose representatives of medium-sized sizes with a soft color, since their meat is more tender and tasty. Large and brightly colored mollusks are old individuals with tough meat.

Before you understand how to clean squid from the film, you need to choose and buy them correctly. Freshly caught squids are perfectly cleaned. In this case, the film, which is located on the outer and inner sides of the seabed, is removed like a stocking, very easily. However, fresh mollusks are caught by residents of sea coasts. Most people buy a frozen product.

Despite the fact that you are buying frozen squid, you should be careful about buying. Key to successful cooking and pre-cleaning are right conditions storage and transportation of marine life. So, defrosting and re-freezing of this product is not allowed.

Rules for a successful purchase of squid:

Carcasses in a frozen state should be separate from each other, as if glazed in a small amount of ice. If you notice that several shellfish are attached to each other, this means that the product has previously been defrosted and re-frozen. Buying such seafood is not worth it.
If you want to buy a quality product, you should give preference to those with a white carcass without splashes of blue and pink. Spots of other shades indicate that the color of the skin of the mollusk was absorbed into the carcass during the thawing process.

Buying low-quality seafood leads not only to poor cleaning of the carcass, but also to a distortion of taste. In addition, low-quality seafood can be harmful to your health.

Features of squid

As a biological species, squids appeared about 200 million years ago, in the Triassic period. The way they move is not found in any other living organism on the planet. These mollusks have a built-in “engine” that works on the principle of jet propulsion. Sucking in water, he releases it with force through a kind of "nozzle", which gives him a speed of up to 30 km / h.

Squids prefer salt water, at least 33%, so you won’t meet this monster in the “lightly salted” seas (such as the Baltic). Due to the admixture of copper, the blood of squids has a blue color, but crayfish with scorpions can boast of this. But three hearts - only these cephalopods have this.

Well, the "ink bag" is also exclusively their evolutionary invention. Not only does the discarded ink retain the shape of a squid, but the fish attacking this “cloud” become blind and lose their sense of smell due to the paralyzing property of this liquid. And while the fish is trying to understand what is happening to it, the squid quickly changes color and rolls away.

Cleaning method No. 3

When considering all the ways to clean frozen squid, you should pay attention to the method of cleaning boiled carcasses. In this case, they are pre-boiled, and only then freed from the film. At the time of cooking, the film may burst and gather into balls. Then it must be cleaned with a kitchen brush.

Freshly frozen squid is already sold without a head, so the process of cutting the carcass is accelerated, you do not have to cut off anything extra, just clean it from the inside. Then follows the transition to the removal of films, which seems time consuming. The process is actually not that complicated.

So, now you know how to clean the squid from the film. You can choose any method, depending on whether you have time and how important it is for you to preserve the taste of this unique marine life.

Squid dishes

You have already learned how to quickly peel squid from the film, now let's get acquainted with some dishes from these ancient monsters, for example, with Chinese squid.

You will need: a kilogram of squid, a couple of onions, 4 cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp. l. soy sauce, 2 tsp sugar, herbs, salt and pepper to taste. We lower the peeled squids for 2 minutes in boiling water, then we recline them in a colander. Fry the onion cut into half rings until golden brown in a frying pan, then add the squid chopped into strips or rings and fry for a minute.

No less tasty are squids with vegetables. You now know how to clean a squid from a film, so let's move on to the process itself. For 600 g of clam pulp we take two large carrots, two onions, pepper ( better mix), 1 tsp. salt, 3 tbsp. l. unrefined vegetable oil and spices to taste.

Squids cut into rings, onions - large, carrots three on coarse grater. We put everything in a suitable bowl and add the rest. The mass must be mixed and left for 20 minutes to soak the dish. Then we lay out the result in dry, clean jars, tighten the neck with foil and put it in the oven for 1.5 hours, heated to 220 degrees. Can be served both hot and cold.

Cooking seafood

You have already decided how to clean the squid from the film, it is worth moving on to cooking them. Process heat treatment, like cleaning, many housewives raise a large number of questions, and not every girl knows the cooking technique. However, this is not difficult - now we will tell you how to do it.

For tasty and tender meat sea dweller, it is necessary to lower the carcasses into boiling water for no more than 20 seconds. Only in this case you will achieve the best result.

Do you want to pamper your family? delicious meat squid? But you don't know how to clean squid? Well, in this case, our instructions for cleaning squid will come in handy. Knowing how to clean squid, you can enjoy an awesome delicacy at home.

Many leading nutritionists recommend eating squid meat. Seafood must certainly be in the human diet. If we are talking specifically about squid, it should be noted that this meat goes well with vegetables and cereals. That is, having learned how to clean squid, you can cook the most different dishes for your family. At what it can be hot dishes or simple, but very tasty cold snacks. Therefore, it is extremely important to know how to clean squid from the film.

The right choice of squid is the key to a delicious dish

Before we talk about how to clean squid, you should learn how to choose the right one.
If the squid is fresh, say, literally caught out of the water, it is cleaned simply, quickly, without any difficulties. The film that covers the carcass is removed entirely. Therefore, if you want to enjoy such a privilege, it makes sense to live on the coast. Then you will have the opportunity to buy squid from local residents.

What gifts of nature are waiting for us in stores and hypermarkets? As a rule, these are frozen seafood, in particular, carcasses of squid with tentacles. And we can only guess how many times this product has been defrosted and re-frozen. Unfortunately, it is the repeated freezing that affects the taste of the squid and the quality of its cleaning. Although even a frozen product can be successfully cleaned if the standards for its storage have been observed.

If you intend to purchase exceptionally high-quality squid, you will need to pay attention to ensure that the shellfish carcasses do not stick together. If you see that squids lie in front of you, which literally froze one to one, it is better to refuse to buy such a product, especially if the first attempt to separate the carcasses was unsuccessful. This is the first sign that you have squid in front of you, which "survived" repeated freezing. The next no less important point that you should pay attention to: the meat is really good squid should be white. If you have bluish, pink squid in front of you, it means that the meat was saturated with the color of the skin when the thawing process took place. And this is another confirmation that you have a low-quality product. And during cleaning, it will be difficult for you to remove the film.

These two tips will help save you from a bad purchase, from an excruciatingly long cleaning. And it’s not a fact that squid will be safe for the stomach.

The most common mistake is that many people choose large squid carcasses that are juicy colored. As you may have guessed, we are talking about old clams, which may be unsuitable for cooking. Plus, they are incredibly difficult to clean. For the sake of experiment, you can, of course, try to purchase fresh white squid meat and carcasses dyed in a bright color. Your own experience will show you where a quality product is, and which one is better to never buy again.

Any gourmet will say that the meat of small, slightly colored squids is an indescribable yummy. In such mollusks, the meat is more tasty, tender.

Squids: how to clean them

All the rules for cleaning squids involve the rapid elimination of the film.

How to quickly clean squid from the film? How can you get rid of films? These questions concern many hostesses. To date, there are 4 ways to get rid of the film on squid meat. Some of them are highly efficient. The choice is yours. Test different methods and choose the one that will allow you to spend the least amount of time cleaning squid from the film.
Many people wonder: why clean squid from films, transparent and colored? Firstly, it is an opportunity to get especially tender meat. Alas, during the heat treatment process, the film (transparent) can become incredibly rigid. Plus, carcasses often decrease in volume. Such metamorphoses occur due to the presence of this film. So, now you understand that getting rid of the film is a must. And you need to do it right and quickly.

At your choice, we offer the following ways squid cleaning:

Cooking. Many inexperienced hostesses are interested in whether it is possible to clean squids when they are already boiled? As it turns out, you can also clean those squids that have already been cooked. That is, you cook unpeeled shellfish carcasses, and clean them after they are ready. It is enough to cool the carcass a little. It will take a few seconds to remove the film with a solid stocking. When, under the influence of excessively hot water, the skin on the squid cracks, curls up, you will see small balls in place of the curled film. You can get rid of the film with a special soft brush: rub it on the surface of the mollusk - and the film will clean itself. The presented method is popular when you need to prepare a salad.
Hot cleaning. If we are talking about a frozen product that has probably been frozen several times, you cannot do without heat treatment. So, you will need to defrost not decapitated carcasses, whole squids, including tentacles, head. At the same time, it is necessary to defrost naturally, or steamed, or at room temperature. When the squid melts, you will need to gently pull on the head and remove any existing innards. Then take a knife and cut off the tentacles (approximately at eye level). It is important to understand and remember that the beak, which is hidden between the tentacles, cannot be eaten. Even sperm whales cannot digest it, let alone the human stomach. Therefore, the beak must be removed immediately. In this case, you should be especially careful so that the fragments do not get into the food. Then you will need to remove the flexible spine. It resembles a narrow voice of colorless plastic, which is easily felt in the carcass, so you will surely easily find the spine. And now, all you have to do is remove the film: for this you will need to rinse the squid meat under running water, dry it with napkins, place it in boiling water for a couple of minutes, when the flesh separates from the skin, it will be easy to get rid of the film, the film itself will curl up, you will have take out the still uncooked mollusk, cool it and get rid of the layers of the film under a stream of cold water (it usually bursts during heat treatment). By performing such a manipulation, you will quickly and effectively clean the squid, get rid of the film.
Cold cleaning from hard films. This method does not involve thermal exposure, and is suitable for both fresh and frozen products. Take a headless carcass, slowly and carefully separate a thin film and calmly pull it off. So you remove all the film, something like a "stocking" will remain in your hand. After getting rid of the unpleasant film, you just have to peel the squid from the skin, remove the chord and internal organs. As you can see for yourself, the method is clear and simple, does not require any complex devices and conditions.
Contrasting brushing. This simple method allows you to get rid of hard films very quickly. You can clean frozen squid in minutes. You need to prepare 2 deep pots, put squid carcasses without giblets in one, and pour into the second ice water. As soon as you scald the clams with boiling water, then quickly put them in a pot of cold water. So you do not cook the meat, facilitate the release of the carcass from the peel. When the film bursts, it will be enough for you to remove it manually. Then it remains to throw the peeled squid in a colander or simply dry it with a paper towel. This way you get rid of excess fluid.

So, you know how to clean a squid. What is the best way to choose? Only yours can help here. personal experience. You can try several methods and choose the one that will be the most effective, which will quickly help you solve the problem. In fact, cleaning squid from films is an easily solved task. The main thing is to approach the process with knowledge of the matter. There is certainly nothing supernatural and difficult in cleaning squid. Therefore, do not think about how to clean the squid, feel free to purchase this delicious delicacy - squid. You know how to clean them correctly from the film. When will you develop the skill quick cleaning squid, freed up time can be spent on cooking a variety of delicious dishes. After cleaning the squids, you can start conquering the culinary peaks. Seafood is delicious! Learn to clean them from films quickly and efficiently!

Squids are ten-armed edible molluscs of the cephalopod order, which are simply irreplaceable in cooking. Hundreds of dishes are prepared from this marine inhabitant: salads, soups, snacks. For example, crispy battered rings can be served both as an appetizer and as an addition to festive table. And to make the dishes tasty, you need to know how to properly clean the squid. There are many secrets and rules in this process.

In general, if you have this product from the category of a “rare guest” in your diet, urgently correct yourself: squid meat contains iron and potassium, iodine, zinc and selenium.

It has no cholesterol at all, but a lot of protein.

The calorie content is relatively low - 100 kcal per 100 grams (the number of kcal varies depending on the method of preparation).

Dishes with squid are a high-quality "building" material for muscle tissue, which has a tonic, anti-sclerotic, and vasoconstrictive effect.

When using this sea mollusk, toxins and heavy metal salts are removed, digestion improves and the endocrine system (especially the thyroid gland) is supported.

Usually this product is rarely used by those housewives who do not know how to clean squids, what part to eat, and how to cook for a salad or some other dish correctly and how much. Of course, there are difficulties, but they are minimal! It is worth doing everything once and then you will only be surprised why you didn’t know how to do this before!

How to clean squid from a film: basic methods

There are 3 main ways to deal with the film on the carcass - clean without heat treatment and apply blanching, pre-boiling.

cold method

A fresh or quick-frozen carcass is taken in hand and the film is pulled off with a “stocking”.
If the film is not removed with a sharp movement, it can be separated little by little, delaying with smooth movements.
After removing the film, the entrails of the marine animal and the chord (a chitinous likeness of the spine) are removed.

hot method

If the freezing method is unknown, especially if the squid thawed and froze again during storage, or was covered with ice, or was crushed and deformed, then the “stocking” cleaning method is not suitable for it.

Such clams should be put in a heat-resistant colander and lowered into boiling water for 7-10 seconds.
Then take it out and immediately lower it into ice water. In most cases, the film will wrinkle and peel off on its own.
Sometimes you will need to work a little with your hands and remove its remains from the carcass.

Cleaning boiled squid

If the squid was boiled in a film, then to remove it, you need to slightly cool the carcass.
After that, you can use a new soft kitchen brush.
It is enough to rub the carcass a little, and the film will gather into balls and peel off.

This method experienced chefs do not like to use - the taste of the finished seafood is deteriorating.

How to clean fresh squid

If you are lucky enough to get a freshly caught mollusk, then you need to clean it right away. The process flow is simple:

we hold the whole carcass well with one hand, with the other we tightly grasp the head immediately behind the eyes and confidently stretch it out - in one hand there is a body with fins, and in the other - a head with tentacles and entrails:
we cut off the tentacles, the rest (eyes, entrails, the longest "mustache") are thrown away. Be careful with the beak - it may remain with tentacles, remove it, do not eat it;
we free the carcass from the remaining entrails and the chitinous rod - we just pull it out by hand;
We tighten the film under running water.

Cleaning whole frozen carcasses

To clean the squid, it must be thawed.
The best way to defrost is gradual, gentle.
To do this, the carcass is transferred from the freezer to the refrigerator compartment.
When it thaws, you need to move it to the conditions room temperature and keep it until the normal state is fully restored.
We clean the same as freshly caught. After - rinse the carcasses with water and lower into boiling water.
The length of stay in boiling water depends on further actions.
If, after scalding, it is lowered into ice water, then a 10-second blanching is sufficient. Carcasses taken out of cold water are easily cleaned by hand. This method is reliable, but the squid cleaned with it is not so tasty.
If the squid will be cleaned immediately after being pulled out of boiling water, then you need to keep it in water for about a minute. The film is carefully brushed off. The meat of squids cleaned in this way is juicier after cooking.

The easiest and fastest way to clean

Frozen carcasses should be put in a bowl, pour boiling water for a couple of minutes, then put under a stream of cold water and clean with your hands from the film, chord and entrails.
This method is really fast and simple. Its only disadvantage is that squids become less juicy and fragrant, they become stiff.

You can use such a “shock” method only with an acute shortage of time for gentle defrosting.

Let's talk about squid. This is a wonderful tasty delicacy. It is rich in vitamins and proteins, minerals, trace elements. In addition, it has a low calorie content, but is very nutritious, which has made it popular with dieters. However, not all dishes with this ingredient are tasty. Why? Because not everyone knows how to cook them. and cook them - we will discuss in detail later), if I may say so, are very demanding in terms of processing, and not every housewife, especially beginners, will cope with the task, thinking of treating the family with delicious and healthy dish. However, this is not a reason to deny yourself the pleasure. We will share with you the main secrets.

Oh that squid...

Many people know how to clean and cook these representatives of the marine fauna. Theoretically... But as soon as it comes to practice, problems begin. Cooking gurus naturally have their secrets. We do not belong to those, but, as they say, we will help in any way we can.

It is believed that these clams are difficult to cook, but this is not so. We want to debunk this myth. There is nothing complicated in technology, you just need to have certain information. In principle, it all comes down to one question: "How to cook and clean?" Squids are very picky. If you overexpose seafood in hot water, it will become rubbery, and the dish itself will become tasteless. When properly cooked, they are delicious and nutritious.

So, let's start with the fact that we will understand: are squids first cleaned or boiled? How to do it right? In general, unpeeled ones are considered more useful and of higher quality. After all, in factories they are subjected to heat treatment, due to which they become more rigid. However, the inhabitants of the Mediterranean countries know a lot about their preparation. So, they advise doing this: first defrost the seafood to room temperature, and then dip it in boiling water for a couple of minutes (the skin should curl up), drain the unnecessary liquid and send the carcass now into cold water. Believe me, after these manipulations, the curled skin can be removed very easily. Then the insides are removed. And now our squid is almost ready. The hardest part is already done. This method, in our opinion, is the best, it allows you to preserve the softness, juiciness and tenderness of the product.

Time matters

We have already figured out how to clean squid. How much remains to be seen. And this is how it is done. Peppers, salt and, of course, bay leaves are put 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. So you need to do with each piece.

Difficult? Not at all. However, that's not all. It would seem that what else should the hostess do to prepare these seafood, except to clean and cook? Squids, especially cooked properly, are a delicious delicacy. But in order to feed relatives with it, and not with "rubber", it is advisable to practice. Here you need skill. Try at least a couple of times to cook the clam in the way that we described above. And it is not necessary to spoil the whole carcass, it is enough to cut off a couple of pieces. And remember: long heat treatment(over 3 minutes) is contraindicated! It completely deprives the seafood of any taste, and there is no need to talk about nutrition. Tender meat turns into a piece of the sole that cannot be chewed.

Here he is so capricious - a squid. How to clean and cook these cephalopods, probably, is already clear. But, as they say, there is no limit to perfection, which means that we will continue to get acquainted with the tricks of culinary skills. So...

Another cooking method

There are actually many ways to cook squid. However, to be honest, they are not all good. We want to offer you another option worthy of your attention. We need to bring water to a boil with spices and salt, and then put our clams there. Immediately remove the pot from the heat. And let them stand in boiling water for about ten minutes.

Speaking about what a wonderful squid product, how to clean and cook it correctly, it is impossible not to mention one more way to cook it - without the defrosting process. To do this, you just need to dip the carcass in boiling water for literally one minute, then turn off the fire and hold for another two to three minutes in the water.

We not only cook, but also fry

Squid is that universal product from which you can make a mass delicious dishes. All of them are very diverse and not so difficult to prepare. And now you will be convinced of it.

So, you have a squid on your table. We figured out how to clean and boil it, now let's find out how to fry it properly.

You may be surprised, but before frying, the clams should be boiled. To do this, use one of the above methods. Next, cut them into rings or in the form of straws. Dip each piece in a sauce of beaten eggs with salt, sour cream and spices, roll in breadcrumbs and fry on a vegetable, or better - butter but not 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. As a marinade, you can use lemon juice, garlic, pepper and paprika. Then the clams are placed on a grill and baked, pouring over the remaining liquid.

As a rule, inexperienced cooks are interested in how to properly clean squid: before cooking or after it? Of course, before, just pre-dousing them with boiling water. Knowing this simple secret, you can easily cope with the preparation of any clam dish.

Stuffed squid

First, the squids are cleaned, and then each carcass is beaten off. Then you need to half fill the carcass with minced meat. As a filling, you can take eggs with mushrooms, rice with vegetables, cheese and shrimp, apples and cottage cheese. The edges of the squid can be fastened with toothpicks, and then stew them in the oven in a small amount liquids. A couple of minutes before they are ready, they can be sprinkled with cheese and sent back to the oven to form a tanned crust. When ready, the dish can be poured with wine, cream, sour cream, walnut or tomato sauce.

Do not be surprised that in many recipes you will find something unusual. For example, squid with crab sticks and corn, minced meat, sprats and bread, dried fruits and nuts.

At any national cuisine there are a lot of their secrets of cooking shellfish. But you should always remember one rule. Do not overload such dishes with spices. The main ingredient has the ability to actively absorb all the surrounding odors. And therefore your cooking masterpiece may be too saturated.

By itself, cooked seafood is far from everything, you need to pick it up the right side dish. For example, vegetables, rice, pasta. Then decorate again ready meal herbs and lemon, olives. Then the dish will turn out to be harmonious and unique.

How to choose when buying fresh squid?

For cooking good food First of all, you need to purchase a fairly fresh product. Squid meat is usually sold frozen. Carcasses are sometimes even with tentacles. Any frozen product should not be frozen and thawed several times. Improper storage conditions can negate all taste qualities. Therefore, it is not surprising that there bad smell fish and bitter taste. When cooking, such a mollusk spreads in the hands and foams heavily when cooked. A dish from such a squid will not turn out tasty, and it’s not your fault, and it’s not about the recipe. Therefore, carefully inspect the product when choosing it in the supermarket.

The carcass of the mollusk should have a dense texture. The top film that you will be removing is a brownish-pink tint, and the meat itself inside is white.

Never buy peeled carcasses. Of course it's convenient. But it is the squid film that is the part by which you can definitely determine its freshness. How? Yes, very simple. Look: if the skin has a yellowish color, and the meat inside is not white, then it is better not to buy such a product. It must have been on display for a long time.

little trick

Imagine a situation when you still accidentally overcooked squid, and the meat became tough. Dont be upset. Not everything is so bad. Do not immediately throw away the product. 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 features but you will make things better. Yes, and gain your own experience in the preparation of these inhabitants of the deep sea.

What delicious can be cooked from squid?

Most often, squid meat is used to make salads, but they can also be served as an independent dish.

Naturally, seafood salads are not prepared in large quantities. It's delicious and nutritional product, which has a specific taste, because the main ingredient is the squid itself. He must prevail. The remaining components should be put much less.

Recipe with rice

How to cook and clean squid for salad, we have already figured it out. Let's now look at a few recipes.

For cooking, take:

Rice - 100 g.
Eggs - 3 pcs.
Squids (better than their fillet) - 250 g.
Green peas (canned) - ½ can.
Dill greens - one bunch.
Salt and pepper are added to your taste.
Sour cream with mayonnaise.

For cooking, boil the rice. We clean the squid and boil it in one of the above ways. Then we cut them in the form of rings. Cut boiled eggs and mix with squid and peas. Mix sour cream with mayonnaise for dressing, add salt and pepper, and chopped greens. Mix all the ingredients, seasoning with sauce. Here is the salad ready.

Calamari with potatoes and onions

Let's take the following set of products:

Potato - 0.5 kg.
Squid (fillet) - 0.4-0.5 kg.
Vegetable oil.
Onion - 100 g.
Green onion.
Ground pepper.
Table vinegar.

To prepare a salad, boiled squid carcasses must be cut into strips. Boil the potatoes in their skins, cool, then peel and cut into cubes. Onion cut into rings. Combine all ingredients carefully by adding ground pepper. You can also sprinkle a little vinegar. The salad itself is dressed with vegetable oil.

Instead of an afterword

As you can see, seafood recipes are not at all complicated. The main thing is to properly pre-clean and cook the clams. And further preparation will not be difficult. Use our tips and you will be pleasantly surprised by the result. Enjoy your meal!