How to properly boil peeled squid. How to cook squid for tender meat

Squid salad is a great dish in every sense. Hearty, light, tasty. There is only one problem with it, and it reminds of itself as soon as it comes time to cook squid for salad. There is an opinion in the culinary environment that it is so difficult to cook squid that not a single novice housewife can cope with this task. Like, only experienced chefs know how long to cook squid for salad or other dishes. They acquired this knowledge from their own experience, and until then nobody has been able to cook squid correctly: either you digest it, then you don't cook it ...

Preparing delicious squids, especially frozen ones, is really difficult. But also not so difficult that we could not teach you how to cook squid for salad. By and large, the difficulty lies only in the need to strictly monitor the cooking time, not for a minute deviating from the rules and not relying on your own intuition and / or eye. So, all you need to know to get started is how much to cook squid in one case or another (fresh, frozen, carcasses or rings).

Squid in cooking: composition, benefits and cooking features
Squid are among the most popular seafood. And not surprising: these edible molluscs live in almost all seas and oceans, are obtained in large quantities and are suitable for various methods. culinary processing... Not to mention the fact that properly cooked squid is incredibly tasty, and almost always very healthy. All the difficulties of cooking squid pale against the background of their chemical composition:

  • 18% complete protein with a complex amino acid composition and only 3% fat - the dietary qualities of squid meat are undeniable.
  • Several B vitamins, vitamins PP and E, as well as omega polyunsaturated fatty acids, necessary for their assimilation.
  • Iodine, selenium, iron, phosphorus, calcium, zinc, magnesium and other micro- and macroelements for the well-coordinated work of the human body.
100 grams of squid meat contains only 75 kcal, and it brings more benefits than many other foods. But, ironically, it is the easily digestible low-fat protein that interferes with the easy cooking of squid: during heat treatment, the protein fibers fold and harden. Instead of nutritious white meat you get a "rubber" lump of compressed muscle.


The only way to avoid hardening cooked squid is to stop cooking before the protein has curdled. To do this, you need to know exactly how long to cook the squid and take into account the recipe for the dish in which you will use them. If we are talking about a salad with squid, then you need to cook fresh carcasses in this way:

  1. Conventionally, 1 kg of fresh squid needs 2 liters of water and 2 tablespoons of salt.
  2. To improve the taste, add to the water, in addition to salt, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of vinegar (apple cider or tablespoon), a couple of bay leaves and a little peppercorns.
  3. Dissolve salt and other spices in water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low level and lower the squid in a saucepan for 1-1.5 minutes.
  4. Remove the squid from the boiling water no later than 1.5 minutes later (just removing the pan from the heat is not enough).
  5. Place the squid in a colander and cool to room temperature. After that, they can be cut into cubes, strips or rings, depending on the salad recipe.
As you can see, the procedure for boiling squid is not difficult, but if you gape and do not get them out of the pan in time, the fillet will turn into a tough muscle mass, almost unsuitable for chewing.

How to cook frozen squid for salad
Fresh or lightly chilled squid carcasses are ideal raw materials for salads, snacks and other dishes. Unfortunately, they are not often found in stores - it is much more likely to buy frozen squids. Deep freezing does not spoil the taste and properties of seafood, but you will have to tinker with such squid longer. To begin with, the carcasses must be properly thawed, and then cleaned and prepared for cooking:

  1. A few hours before cooking, place the frozen squid on the farthest shelf from the freezer in the refrigerator. Do not try to speed up the defrosting process by pouring water on the squid when room temperature or using the mode microwave oven.
  2. It is advisable to defrost squid carcasses not completely to facilitate cleaning of films and skin. If you bought peeled carcasses, defrost them completely.
  3. To clean the squid, a sharp knife is enough, which needs to pick up the pinkish-gray skin from the side of the tentacles (or where they were) and remove it entirely towards the squid's head. Then it is necessary to remove the white films, chitinous plates and viscera.
  4. During cleaning, the squid should be completely thawed. Carcasses can be cut into rings or strips and boiled according to the technology described above.
  5. During cooking, dense hard lumps can form on the surface of the carcass - this happens if some of the films remain on it. Clean them as thoroughly as possible.
Boiled squid can be put directly into a salad, or you can postpone cooking. Then leave them in the pot of water in which they were boiled at room temperature.

How to cook squid rings for salad?
Squid rings, as well as any industrially processed and cut parts, are worse for salad than whole carcasses. But if you only have squid rings, and even frozen ones, you will have to make do with them:

  1. Boil salted water or broth with spices to taste in a saucepan.
  2. Dip frozen squid rings into boiling liquid (you do not need to defrost them first).
  3. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, cover and leave at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  4. Remove the rings with a slotted spoon, dry in a colander or with a towel and send them to the salad according to the recipe.
How long to cook squid for salad?
Cooking squid has become such a common parable in culinary circles that no housewife will take this process casually. But there is also a hole in the old woman - suppose you have digested the squids and have not taken them out of the boiling water for two minutes. What to do? It turns out there is a way out:
  • After 2-3 minutes of boiling, the squids become tough - you can find comparisons with rubber, soles and other unappetizing metaphors.
  • In addition to the structure and taste, the volume of the product is also violated: a properly cooked squid almost does not lose volume compared to fresh, while the digested squid shrinks. After 5 minutes of cooking, the squids are reduced by a third, after 10 minutes - by half.
  • But after 30 minutes of cooking with a slight boil, the opposite occurs biochemical process, and the squid meat becomes soft again. True, the volume of fibers is not restored.
  • Accordingly, if you missed the moment, and the squids shriveled in boiling water, leave them to cook for up to 30 minutes. So you, by at least, save the dish from chewy meat.
  • But be prepared for the fact that squids, cooked for half an hour, will lose almost 2/3 of their size.
It remains to remember: you need to cook the squid either for a couple of minutes, or for a long time. All intermediate options make squid, carcasses or rings, "rubber".

How to cook delicious squid for salad?
Cooking in boiling water on the stove is the most affordable and common way to cook squid and other seafood. But modern kitchens are equipped with other technological capabilities as well. Therefore, you can probably cook squid for salad in any of these ways:

  1. Cook the squid in the microwave in water. Fill a microwave safe dish with hot water or broth. Bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes. Put thawed squid in boiling water and turn on the oven at maximum power for 1.5 minutes. Take out the pan and remove the squid.
  2. Cook squid in the microwave in own juice... Place the thawed squid carcasses in a suitable container, drizzle with 1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice and drizzle with vegetable oil. Stir and microwave for 1 minute at full power. Leave in the microwave for another 5 minutes.
  3. Cook squid in a slow cooker. Place the defrosted carcasses in the bowl of the appliance and fill with water. You can add salt, bay leaf, and other spices as you like. Close the lid of the multicooker and set the timer for 3 minutes. Switch on the appliance in the “cooking” or “steam cooking” mode. After the end of cooking, do not open the lid for another 5 minutes.
  4. Cook the squid in a double boiler. Place the carcasses in any compartment of the steamer, close the lid and turn on the device for 10 minutes. For most models, this time is sufficient, but for weak units, you can increase the cooking time to 12 minutes. In a double boiler, boiled squids keep their size and turn out to be tender.
The only drawback of steamed squid is the lack of broth. But for a salad, it is not needed, so this method of cooking squid in a salad can be considered optimal for everyone who has an electric steamer. Or for those who are not too lazy to steam the squid in the old-fashioned way, on the stove.

But don't forget that even properly cooked salad squid should be used as soon as possible. The maximum shelf life of boiled squid in the refrigerator is two days. After that, even well-cooked and soft squids will become tough and tasteless. But compliance with all the rules guarantees the taste and benefits of squid in the salad. Bon Appetit!

Properly cooked shellfish should be white with a light pink color, have tender and juicy soft meat, and whet the appetite with a subtle and clean aroma of seafood.

In this case, the benefits of this seafood will be maximum, and there are many of them - vitamins, unique protein, minimum calories with high nutritional value.

How to choose and prepare squid?

Most best product Is freshly caught. But for those who are very far from the ocean, it is almost impossible to find this delicacy of the first freshness.

In stores and supermarkets, it is offered frozen, which is also ideal for preparing salads.

The main thing is to know how to choose a quality product. There are certain rules:

  • it is necessary to buy a clam only in large supermarkets... Buying them in questionable stores is undesirable. Such outlets, as a rule, do not comply with the standards for storing frozen food;
  • quality seafood has white meat, sometimes pink or slightly purple... The yellowness of the carcass speaks of its spoilage and poor quality;
  • a good frozen clam cannot be one ice heap, carcasses should be easily separated from one another... Otherwise, this suggests that the squid have been defrosting and re-freezing several times, which in the future will have a very bad effect on the taste of the product;
  • on shellfish there should be no thick ice coating (glaze) if any, it indicates the seller's dishonesty. By purchasing this product and after defrosting it, you will get much less weight at the exit than stated on the package. A person simply overpays for ordinary water;
  • quality seafood has quite elastic carcass and easily regains its original shape when squeezed... If the shellfish is soft or jelly-like, you won't be able to make a delicious salad from such a delicacy.

Frozen carcasses are thawed immediately before cooking.

It is best to let the squid thaw on its own.

To do this, take it out of the freezer and put it on the refrigerator shelf.

You can speed up the defrosting process by leaving the seafood to defrost at room temperature.

It so happens that the time for preparing the salad is short, and the frozen product needs to be used as soon as possible.

What to do in this situation? The main rule is not to dip frozen carcasses or rings in boiling water, otherwise there is a high risk of getting tough and tasteless meat. For quick defrosting, it will be correct to put frozen shellfish carcasses in a container with water at room temperature. This will thaw them much faster.

The product is defrosted, so you can start cleaning it. Squid must be placed in a saucepan, pour boiling water over for a few seconds. After draining the boiling water, rinse the carcasses under running cold water and remove the film from them with your hands. Be sure to check the clam inside for the presence of spinal plates. These insides look like transparent strips of plastic and need to be pulled out.

How to cook squid for salad?

Inexperienced housewives, not knowing exactly how long to cook squid for a salad in time, try to keep the delicacy in the saucepan longer. It is a mistake to think that shellfish meat will cook better, will be tender and soft in taste. This is a special product, not meat or vegetables, long cooking, stewing, frying only worsen its taste, making it hard.

Fresh squid

Fresh carcasses after cleaning must be thoroughly rinsed again under cold water, and then put in boiling water for 2 minutes.

This time is enough for the clam meat to cook, but remains tender and juicy.

After the cooked squid has cooled, they can be sliced ​​for salad.

Important! Water for cooking the delicacy is taken exactly in such an amount that it only slightly covers the carcasses, it is undesirable to fill the pan with water to the top!

By the way, the question of what water to cook squid for salad is also important. True gourmets believe that water should only be slightly salted, without spices and additives... And even more so without lemon juice, sauces. This will give the shellfish the maximum of its natural pure taste.

But many want to improve the taste of the product; during the cooking process, various spices are added to the pan: allspice or black peas, dried or fresh herbs. The piquant taste of seafood can be obtained by throwing orange or lemon zest into the water in which squid is boiled.

Frozen squid

If frozen carcasses have already been purchased peeled, their color is white.

Before cooking, the fillets are thawed, washed under running water and placed in a saucepan with boiling water.

They are brewed in the same way as fresh ones - no more than 2 minutes.

Unpeeled frozen squids have a pink or purple skin tone.

Before boiling such carcasses, they should be thawed using the above methods, peeled and immersed in boiling water for a couple of minutes.

You can cook squid in another method. To do this, boil water in a saucepan, put thawed or fresh peeled shellfish carcasses into another container and pour boiling water over them. Then the container with squid is covered with a lid for several minutes, the finished delicacy is taken out and cooled for further processing.

How to cook squid rings for salad

Often in stores you can buy semi-finished products in the form of rings - these are just perfect for cooking.

For a salad, it is better to take whole carcasses, but the rings can also be properly prepared and boiled.

Frozen rings must be defrosted in the same way as whole squid, that is, left to thaw at room temperature or immersed in warm water.

How much squid should be cooked for salad and why?

The main rule and the only answer to the question about the duration of cooking is that you need to cook shellfish no more than 2 minutes, then its meat will be soft and juicy, and the salad will turn out to be unusually tasty. If you overexpose seafood in boiling water, the meat will acquire a dark hue, become tough, rubbery and taste unpleasant.

If this trouble occurs, the situation can be saved by leaving the squid to cook for another 30 minutes. However, this method of cooking has some drawbacks:

  1. clam meat will become softer, but significantly lose its original volume;
  2. the beneficial substances contained in the shellfish will simply be boiled down;
  3. the squid will not taste as tender and juicy as if cooked the right way.

Storage rules for boiled squid

Boiled shellfish carcasses are stored in a plastic container with a lid for no more than 2 days.

After this period of time, they can deteriorate and serious poisoning is possible when eaten.

Boiled carcasses can be stored in the freezer, but when they are later used in salads, the shellfish will not be as soft and tasty.

Squid must be boiled just before eating., only then you can fully enjoy its great taste and tenderness in the prepared dish.

Useful video

Briefly about cooking squid for salad in this video:

Squid is characterized by a high content of proteins, vitamins of group C and microelements. Dishes from it will be useful for children and the elderly. But, for their preparation, it is very important to properly cook squid.

How to choose and defrost squid?

In order to cook delicious squid, you must follow how many simple rules:

  1. When choosing a squid to cook, you need to pay attention to the fact that the carcasses should be easily separated from each other. If this is not the case and the squids are stuck together, this means that they have already been thawed. Dishes made from re-frozen squid will taste bitter. The color of the meat must be necessarily white, and the film that covers the carcasses must be light pink or even purple.
  2. It is best to defrost the squid to cook it simply in the air. Thus, more nutrients and properties. In case you are limited in time, put the frozen squid carcass in cold water. In no case should hot water be used for this purpose.
  3. The head, tentacles, and also the body of the squid are eaten. Before cooking squid, it is necessary to peel off the film, remove the insides and chitinous plates. The skin is removed very easily: the carcass is pressed against a cutting board and pry off the skin with a fingernail. The squid skin should be removed with a "stocking". The peeled squid carcass must be thoroughly rinsed under running cold water, both inside and out.

How to cook squid correctly?

There are several ways to cook squid. The basic rule is that the duration of boiling squid should not exceed 3 minutes. If you cook squid meat for longer, it will become tough and tasteless. The first way to cook squid is as follows: add salt to boiled water, dip the peeled squid carcass in a saucepan and remove it from the heat. After 10 minutes, the squid will be ready. The second method of cooking squid is even easier: dip the squid carcass in boiling water, count to 15, and then remove the meat with a slotted spoon. A little secret to cooking squid is this: if you initially overcooked the carcasses, this is easy to fix. You need to cook the squid for 30 to 40 minutes. The meat will become soft again, but at the same time it will lose half of its volume and weight.

The squid prepared in this way can be used as a main dish, sprinkled with some kind of white sauce. Also, a boiled squid carcass is an excellent basis for a variety of salads.

Squid meat recipe in batter

Fried squid is also an excellent base for many dishes. In order to prepare a squid appetizer, you need to defrost and peel the carcass, cut it into rings. Dip the squid rings in batter (0.5 kg. Flour, 0.5 liters of beer, 2 eggs, salt to taste) and deep-fry them.

Squid meat recipe with cauliflower

In order to learn how to cook squid meat correctly, you will need to take the squid itself, 2 liters of water, salt, bay leaf, a pound of cauliflower, carrots, onions, 1 tbsp. l. heavy cream.

If you cook squid meat correctly, the taste and aroma will resemble lobster meat, and remember: there should be no fish smell in the finished product. You can use boiled squid for making salads, soups.

Squid meat soup recipe

The method of making squid meat soup is to put cauliflower inflorescences in a saucepan, add chopped carrots and onions and fill everything with water. The broth is salted and boiled for 30 minutes. Then the broth is poured into another dish, the vegetables are chopped. Add to the resulting vegetable puree heavy cream and diluted with broth. Cut squid meat into thin rings, put in a saucepan with vegetable puree, boil. Squid puree soup is ready.

Tips for choosing and cooking squid meat

When buying squid, be sure to pay attention to their appearance. They should be easy to separate from each other, even when frozen. By the way, the color of the meat of fresh squid is completely white, do not confuse it with the color of the film that usually covers the carcass, it may just be pinkish, purple.

To cook squids, you always need to peel off the film. To do this, you should lower the frozen carcasses in hot water, as a result, the skin will curl up and move away from the squid meat on its own. You just have to remove the remnants of the film under running water, as well as remove the insides.

How to boil squid meat?

  1. We advise you to cook squid meat in the simplest way - boil it. It is better to cook squid meat for about 30 minutes, then it will become tender and soft, however, it will lose its useful qualities. Or they can be cooked for no more than 3 minutes.
  2. To cook squid meat, put 2 liters of water into a saucepan, boil, salt, add bay leaf. We lower one thawed, already peeled squid, let it cook a little, then count to ten and take it out with a slotted spoon. We repeat the procedure with the rest of the squid. As a result, the taste of squid meat will be tender and soft.
  3. Pour squid meat with any sauce and use it as a main course. Or you can make a salad with squid, deep-fry the rings.

Squid is the largest invertebrate mollusk. The main food is squid carcass and its hands. It is made up of protein. How to cook delicious frozen squid? Let's talk about it now!

How to cook frozen squid?

Frozen squid dishes are easy to prepare, and the meat itself promotes the release of digestive juices. For cooking you will need:

  • 300-400gr. frozen squid;
  • water;
  • salt;
  • 150gr Adyghe cheese;
  • 100gr. grapes;
  • 2st. l. olive oil;
  • 1 PC. lemon or lemon juice.

Frozen squid recipe

  1. When choosing a squid to cook, you should pay attention to the fact that the carcasses of the squid can be easily separated from each other. If they stick together, then this is a sign that they have already been thawed once. The color of frozen squid meat should be white, and the film that covers the carcass is barely pink or even purple.
  2. Frozen squid must be defrosted before cooking. If you do not have a lot of time, then put the meat in cold water, but you will still lose the beneficial substances of the squid. Just never defrost it in hot water.
  3. If you bought a squid that has not yet been cut, and not frozen, then first remove the film from it, clean it from the entrails and separate the head and tentacles from the body. Rinse everything thoroughly.

How to cook frozen squid?

  1. Now proceed to prepare the frozen squid. There are several ways, but there is one main rule, frozen squid meat should be cooked for no more than 3 minutes, but if you miss this moment, the carcass will become tough. 1st method how to cook squid: boil water and salt. Now dip the squid meat in boiling water and close the lid. Turn off the heat and ten minutes later the carcass will be ready.
  2. The second method is how to cook frozen squid: throw the meat into boiling water, count to 15, and remove from heat (little secret: if you accidentally overcook the squid, leave it to cook further, 30-40 minutes after the start of cooking, the carcass will become soft again, but will lose its weight and volume.
  3. After your squid is ready, let it cool while making the rest of the salad preparations.
  4. Cut each grape in half (choose seedless). Pick up lettuce leaves in large pieces and sprinkle with a little lemon juice, mix everything thoroughly.
  5. Cut the boiled squid into small strips, and Adyghe cheese cubes (if you want, you can use feta for sala).
  6. Put all the ingredients together with the squid in a salad bowl and season with olive oil. Now you just have to mix everything carefully and you can serve it to the table.

Everyone who has tasted squid at least once will probably want to try this delicacy again. The main feature of this seafood is delicate taste, which will surely please not only adults, but also children. However, when trying to cook squid at home, many face failure - their meat becomes tough, tasteless, or acquires an unpleasant smell that can ruin all the pleasure of eating. At the same time, a salad needs perfect ingredients, because only then can you enjoy it to the fullest. Therefore, each housewife should know how to cook squid correctly, as well as a few more secrets of their preparation.

Remember, proper squid preparation starts with store selection. To do this, you should head to a good supermarket or specialist retailer.

It is best not to buy seafood in small shops, as you cannot be sure of their quality and proper storage conditions.

If you live far enough from the ocean, you should only be interested in frozen squid, as this product does not withstand long-term refrigeration. To prepare a salad, you will need ready-made carcasses, but for serving, you can choose a whole squid with tentacles.

Look carefully at the frozen foods offered by the store - they should have a uniform, white or slightly purple color. Signs of damage will be:

  • gray or bluish tint;
  • brown, red, and bluish spots;
  • deep cracks on carcasses in places of their damage.

It is better not to buy peeled squid carcasses, since only on the skin can you see the main signs of a poor-quality product. Do not be afraid of the laborious work - in fact, the skin is easy to clean and does not cause any hassle.

If the store only stocks peeled squid, try to inspect them closely for small reddish, black, or brown dots that indicate spoilage. After bringing it home, put the food in the freezer and take it out just before cooking. Frequent freezing and thawing harms squid and makes them unsuitable for human consumption. When defrosting, pay attention to the density of the carcasses - they should be quite elastic and a little harsh, and also restore their shape after pressing. If the squid is blurry and looks like jelly, you cannot add it to a salad or use it to prepare another dish.

Preparation

Frozen food should be placed in a plastic or metal tray and allowed to thaw on its own - you cannot heat them, as the squid can become too soft and shapeless. Regardless of whether you are going to prepare a salad or other dish, the carcasses need to be peeled, since the skin is inedible and too tough.

It is very simple to do this - you need to boil water and dip the squid in it using a special kitchen clamp or a long fork with two teeth. The skin will instantly curl up, and you just have to remove it, and also cut off the tentacles, remove the chitinous plates inside and outside, on the wings. For a gourmet salad, peeled carcasses can also be scraped lightly, as small, hard scales may remain on them.

Now you need to learn how to cook squid correctly in order to make a salad or other dish based on them truly delicious. Remember that frozen carcasses cannot be dipped in boiling water, as they will instantly lose their shape and also become unsuitable for eating. Also, you should not cook squid for a long time, since from prolonged temperature exposure they become very hard and unpleasant to the taste. ... To prepare a salad, it will be enough to dip the squid in boiling water for exactly two minutes.

There are several main options for cooking such a delicious dish:

  1. Dip in boiling water with salt and spices for about 2 minutes and immediately remove with a slotted spoon, observing the safety rules.
  2. Put several carcasses in boiling water with salt and spices and immediately remove from the heat, after about 10 minutes they will acquire the required degree of readiness.
  3. If there are enough squid, you need to put all the peeled carcasses in a saucepan and put on fire. When the water boils, add the desired spices and remove the pan from the heat. It will take 5 minutes to cook the meat, after which the carcasses will need to be carefully removed.

If you have cooked squid for too long, they will not be suitable for preparing a salad due to the high toughness of the meat. However, there is little trick, which allows you to restore the original state of the product. You need to cook it over low heat for an hour, until the meat softens again and becomes palatable. But it should be borne in mind that you put much less food in the salad, and they will lose all their useful properties, since prolonged cooking destroys many organic compounds and leaches out minerals.

What to cook?

First of all, squid is cooked for salad, which has a very delicate taste, high nutritional value and excellent beneficial properties. Remember that such a dish is not prepared from a dozen ingredients and 2-3 times more other products are not added there. The taste of squid is very specific, and therefore the salad should consist of at least a third or even half of them.

After preparing frozen food, cut the carcasses into rings or chop them into coarse strips, and then mix with other foods, adding a little mayonnaise or vegetable oil. Squids are combined with cucumbers, fresh lettuce, rice, nuts, boiled egg as well as basil and other fresh spices.

Peeled and boiled carcasses can also be stuffed - for this, use a vegetable salad or a mixture based on poultry meat. You should not combine squid with other seafood or rather heavy meats such as beef and pork. If desired, the stuffed carcass can be baked in the oven so that it acquires a pleasant golden hue and piquant taste. You can also cook squid in batter by baking them in the oven or frying them in a deep fat fryer. Before serving, you can sprinkle them with lemon juice, and serve a light vegetable salad and white wine.

If you didn't cook the squid for salad, you can make a traditional Japanese pie. It is made on the basis of yeast dough and coated with mushroom sauce, which emphasizes the taste of seafood. It should be baked for about 20–25 minutes at medium temperature, because with prolonged heat treatment, the main ingredient will become excessively hard and tasteless. Squids are also added to many dishes, including soups, yeast pies, used as a filling for stuffed fish and meat. In Japan, pieces of boiled octopus and squid boiled in cuttlefish ink are considered a special delicacy, but if this dish is prepared incorrectly, it will be dangerous to health.

Have you already heard that squids are boiled in boiling water for only 10-15 minutes?

Forget it!

During this time, you will get a tasteless rubber outsole, not juicy and healthy seafood.

In fact, everything is much simpler, faster and tastier.

How and how much to cook squid so that they turn out soft and tasty?

How to cook squid - general principles

Getting fresh seafood is hard enough. The most commonly used food is frozen squid. The carcass is white, slightly pink or lilac in color. But in fact, the shade does not say anything, on taste qualities the color of the shell of the product is not affected.

What to look for when buying:

The meat itself should be light and in no case have a yellow tint. This indicates the low quality of the product.

Squid carcasses should easily lag behind each other. If they are glued together in one lump, then, most likely, they were defrosting. The manufacturer always freezes one piece at a time and only then packs it together.

If there is a lot of "ice glaze" on seafood, that is, there is an ice crust coating, then the buyer will pay up to a third of the amount for water.

Pay attention to the expiration date of the seafood. But you need to look not at the label glued in the store, but at the packaging itself. Very often the dates on them differ.

Try to choose small carcasses, their meat is more tender. Also, for cooking, it is better to take seafood that is close in size.

How to prepare squid before cooking? The main task is to remove the skin. It will give the product an unpleasant taste. The carcass can simply be doused with boiling water or poured over for three minutes with water, the temperature of which is about 70 degrees. Then the skin peels off easily. You also need to remove the chord or spine that is in the carcass. This soft cartilage is usually easy to remove and not difficult.

How to cook squid so they are soft (basic recipe)

The main secret juiciness of squid - short-term cooking. Seafood is never put into cold water, like meat or fish. The liquid must be boiling.

Ingredients

1 kg of squid;

Preparation

1. Put 2 liters of water in a saucepan, add 2 teaspoons of salt and send to the stove.

2. Pour the prepared squid carcasses with boiling water from the kettle and under the stream cold water remove the skin with your fingers. She usually slips off easily.

3. We put the seafood in boiling water, to which we added salt.

4. Turn on the maximum heat and cook for 1.5 minutes. We take it out and you're done!

How much to steam squid

Many housewives are afraid to use water for cooking seafood, so as not to make them hard. But in fact, you can digest and cook a rubber delicacy even with steam. Therefore, you need to know how much to cook squid and how best to do it.

Ingredients

Squid;

Bay leaf;

Pepper peas.

Preparation

1. Prepared squids are placed in the container of a double boiler.

2. Add bay leaf and a couple of peppercorns to the ode. But you can do without them.

3. Set the timer for 10 minutes and that's it! The assistant will do everything for you.

4. What if there is no steamer? You can use a pressure cooker, place a colander, or other device on the pan. In this case, after boiling the water, the carcasses are boiled for about 5-7 minutes.

How to cook frozen squid (in a saucepan)

Always thaw seafood before cooking. But this must be done correctly, otherwise the product will be tasteless. And never use a microwave oven or hot water to defrost. So how do you cook frozen squid?

Ingredients

Squid;

Preparation

1. Take the seafood out of the freezer, put it in a cup and leave it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for 10 hours. They have to thaw.

2. Or put it in cold water and leave it warm. The fluid must be changed periodically.

3. Drain the water from the carcasses, rinse.

4. Then scald the carcasses with boiling water, remove the skin.

5. Boil water with spices, lay squid.

6. After boiling, cook for 2 minutes and remove. Cool and use.

How to cook squid for salad in a saucepan

It is not necessary to cook the squid for the salad in a lot of water. If you use a small amount of liquid, then less nutrients pass into the broth. Consequently, the product is more aromatic and tasty.

Ingredients

1 kg of squid;

0.5 l of liquid;

You will also need a stewpan, but you can use a wide and low pan, in which the carcasses will fit in one layer.

Preparation

1. We put the washed and peeled carcasses in a saucepan.

2. Sprinkle with salt on top, one teaspoon is enough.

3. You can also throw in a few peppercorns, laurel, dried parsley leaves.

4. Boil water, pour into a saucepan, cover.

5. Let the seafood boil over maximum heat.

6. Reduce and simmer the carcasses with a low boil for three minutes. Then we take it out of the liquid and cool it.

How to cook squid so that they are soft in 10 seconds?

This method is used by many restaurant chefs. It is a win-win, the product always remains juicy and is ideal for any dish. Its peculiarity is that the carcasses are cooked one at a time.

Ingredients

Squid;

Preparation

1. Peel the seafood, remove the chord and rinse.

2. Boil a liter of water, you can add salt and pepper. We make the biggest fire, the water should boil actively.

3. Now we take one carcass, put it in a saucepan and count to 10. Take it out.

4. Take the second carcass, lower it, count and take it out. Etc. It couldn't be easier!

How and how much to cook squid in the microwave

Cooking squid in the microwave is just as quick and easy as on the stovetop. This method will help out if it is not possible to use the pan or the gas is suddenly turned off. You will need special microwave ovenware with a lid.

Ingredients

2 squid carcasses;

0.5 lemon;

2-3 tablespoons of water;

Preparation

1. We wash and prepare the carcasses according to all the rules, that is, remove the skin, take out the chord.

2. We put in a container for a microwave oven.

3. Combine water with lemon juice.

4. Add a pinch of salt and stir. You can put a pinch of ground pepper.

5. Sprinkle squid carcasses with lemon dressing.

6. Cover the container with a lid and place in the microwave.

7. How much to cook squid? With a power of 700 watts, two and a half minutes are enough. If you set more power, then even less. At 800, exactly two minutes is enough.

How to cook frozen squid (without first defrosting)

It turns out that if there is no time to defrost squid, they can be cooked like that. But you still need to know something. How are frozen squids cooked?

Ingredients

Squid;

Preparation

1. We take out the carcasses from the refrigerator and put them in one layer right in the sink.

2. Boil the kettle and pour the carcasses on top. We use half of the prepared water.

3. Turn over to the other side and pour over the remaining boiling water.

4. Remove the skin, rinse the seafood with running water.

5. Put in a saucepan with salted and bubbling water, you can put spices.

6. Cook in the usual way for two minutes.

How to cook squid for salad with lemon (vinegar)

Adding lemon juice or vinegar to the broth makes seafood especially tasty. And squid is no exception. Such seafood will fit especially well in hearty salads with mayonnaise. But how are squids cooked with vinegar for salad?

Ingredients

2 spoons table vinegar;

Or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice;

1 kg of squid;

2.5 liters of water;

Preparation

1. Throw vinegar into the water, put a pinch of salt and send it to the stove. Instead of vinegar, you can similarly take lemon juice.

2. While the water is boiling, clean and prepare the carcasses.

3. We launch the squid into boiling water, make the maximum heat and cook for four minutes.

4. Remove from the broth with a slotted spoon, cool and you can cook delicious salads!

How and how much to cook squid in pieces (rings)

Squids can be cooked not only whole, but also in pieces. Most often these are rings, less often chopped carcasses are prepared into cubes or straws. And sometimes in the store you can find frozen rings, already ready for cooking. But how much to cook the squid in pieces so that they remain soft?

Ingredients

Squid;

Preparation

1. Lightly salt the water and place it on the stove. Add herbs, spices, lemon juice if desired.

2. We clean the carcasses, remove the chord and chop them into rings one centimeter thick.

3. Run the prepared pieces into boiling water, boil for a minute and remove.

4. If the squid is cut into smaller pieces, then cook even less in time.

5. You can immediately cut the seafood into cubes or strips for salad, then in this case it is enough to boil for 15-30 seconds, and then simply drain into a colander.

How to cook squid with onions and carrots

The recipe for the second course of squid and vegetables, which will simply help out if there is no time, but you need to have a quick lunch or dinner. The amount of vegetables can be added at your discretion.

Ingredients

1 squid;

1 carrot;

2 tablespoons of oil;

Bay leaf;

Salt pepper;

1 tomato.

Preparation

1. Cut the onion into cubes, put it in a frying pan and fry for a minute.

2. Add the grated carrots and bring the vegetables together until soft. At the end, put the grated tomato. You can change it tomato paste or ketchup. It will be even faster.

3. While vegetables are being fried, peel the squid and cut into rings or just strips, but not very small.

4. Add a glass of boiling water to the vegetables in a frying pan, salt and pepper.

5. We spread the squid pieces and cook for three minutes.

6. Add the bay leaf and you're done!

7. Lay out on plates, add herbs, you can put a spoonful of sour cream.

How to cook squid with rice

Rice and squid are a classic combination. Based on these two products, there are many different recipes and at least one of them should be tried. But how and how long in time to cook squid with rice?

Ingredients

1 cup rice

2 glasses of water;

2 squid;

1 onion;

1 carrot;

2 tablespoons of soy sauce;

Preparation

1. Chop the carrots into strips. Peel the head of the onion and cut it into cubes. Fry everything together in a deep frying pan.

2. Add soy sauce, stir, put the pepper. You can put seasoning for pilaf, a mixture of spices for rice, cumin, cumin.

3. Add the washed rice, pour boiling water over and simmer under the lid for 15 minutes.

4. Pour boiling water over the squid and keep it for a minute. Rinse with cold water, remove the skin, remove the chord and cut into thin strips. But not very long.

5. Open the rice, add the squid, mix and leave under the lid for a couple of minutes. The stove can be turned off, they will come to readiness.

6. Lay out in plates, decorate with herbs.

Squids do not need to be cooked at all. This method is useful for those who have only one electric kettle or just boiling water. We put the prepared carcasses in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and spices, pour boiling water. Cover and stand for 4 minutes. Ready! The seafood is juicy and tender.

If you are afraid of short-term cooking of squid, then add vinegar to the water. It kills germs well and also helps to improve the taste of the product.

Squids will be especially aromatic and tasty if you put citrus zest in the water. You can use not only lemon peels, but also orange, grapefruit.

Is the squid overcooked and tough? Now do not take it out of the pan, but cook for another half hour. The carcass will become softer, it will not be so rubbery. But it is worth warning that it will greatly decrease in size.

Squids are not only boiled quickly, but also fried. It is enough to hold them in a frying pan for 1-2 minutes. Therefore, immediately make a high heat, heat the oil well, so that an appetizing crust has time to appear.



Squid is a very valuable, healthy, tasty and quite affordable seafood compared to others, which is used to add to a variety of dishes: for a salad, a main side dish, or just as a snack. But to cook the right dish with this seafood, you need to know how to properly heat the squid to make a salad. video

Opinions about cooking this seafood are very different. Some chefs say that it should only be cooked for no more than a minute, others insist that this product should be thermally processed for at least 10, or even 30 minutes, and a third do not accept cooking at all. But, in fact, at home, the squid must necessarily succumb to the correct heat treatment so that it is soft and, importantly, tasty.

Cook the peeled squid

Professional chefs have found many ways to cook this seafood. Amount of time and choice of method heat treatment will depend on the following factors:

  • Squid size.
  • Peeled or not.
  • The softness of the product after cooking.

Before cooking unpeeled squid, it must be thawed and poured over with boiling water to make it easier for you to remove the film. Also, be sure to remove all entrails, bones and other inedible parts.

The size of a squid is directly related to its species. There are 2 types of it - thin and thick. The fact is that the first type of seafood is more common and you can actually cook it for 1-2 minutes. But the second type needs to be thermally processed longer, because the thick walls of the meaty part may not be cooked to the end in a few minutes. Cooking thick squid will take at least 10 minutes or at most one hour.

Thin salad squids can be cooked using the following methods:

  • In boiling salted water with peppercorns and bay leaves, dip a small peeled carcass, quickly count to ten and remove the product with a slotted spoon. The average cooking time for squid in this way is about 10 seconds.
  • After removing the finished product, do the same operation with the remaining carcasses. It is important that the squid is dipped in boiling water.

It is worth mentioning that using this method, the smallest seafood should be thermally processed.

This method has its advantages and, naturally, disadvantages, namely:

Thick squids for salad making can be cooked in this way:

  • Add salt and other seasonings to boiling water to improve taste (bay leaves, peppercorns).
  • We lower the carcasses of seafood into this boiling water and mark the time - it should take exactly 3 minutes.
  • We remove the boiled product, cool and cut.

This method is good because in 3 minutes the product has time to boil and all vitamins, substances and minerals that are more characteristic of it are preserved in it. It is also worth noting that squid is best cooked in small portions - 1-2 medium carcasses. If you bought a large product, then cook it one at a time.

Cooking unpeeled squid

You can also boil unpeeled seafood. By the way, it is easier to choose an unpeeled squid, because it is the film on it that will tell you about the freshness. Gray-white and yellowish skin on the product will tell about its staleness. If through the skin you can see the color of the flesh inside, then it will certainly also help in choosing fresh seafood - the meat must be white. Any other shade of it will indicate long-term storage of squid. A correctly chosen fresh sea inhabitant is half the battle, as its freshness will allow you to get a deliciously cooked product.

During cooking, the film retains more nutrients and vitamins and after the end of the heat treatment it lags behind the squid better. Some cooks and culinary specialists are categorically against cooking seafood in film, but this way it will be more useful.

By boiling unpeeled seafood, you yourself can follow the process of its readiness - if the skin in the squid turns white, it means that it has been cooked and can be removed from boiling water. You can determine the freshness and suitability of the product for consumption in this way - during cooking, monitor its condition. The appearance of foam or disintegration indicates long-term storage and unusability.

Unpeeled squid is best cooked using this method:

  • If you bought frozen carcasses, be sure to defrost them. After defrosting, place them on a plate.
  • Put seafood in boiling salted and seasoned water and cook for exactly 30 minutes.
  • After the completion of the heat treatment process, we take the product out of the water, cool it and carefully clean it from the film.

By the way, in order to quickly boil unpeeled squid without the risk of harming your own body, place it in the freezer and keep it there for a month. Yes, the period is not short, but during such a time all pests and dangerous microorganisms will have time to die.

Technique for cooking squid

In fact, it is possible to thermally treat this sea inhabitant not only in a pot of boiling water, because modern kitchen appliances can cope with such a task for 5+. So, we cook squid using these kitchen gadgets:

  • In the microwave. Be sure to defrost them thoroughly before cooking so that the product is evenly boiled. Sprinkle chilled carcasses with olive or vegetable oil, lemon juice and spices to taste. Place them in the microwave and boil them for 1 minute at full power. You will end up with a product cooked in its own juice.
  • In a multicooker, this seafood can be thermally processed in two ways. 1) Pour water into the device, add all the necessary spices according to your own taste and preference, after boiling the water, place the prepared squid carcasses in a multicooker and boil for 2-3 minutes. In parallel, you can look closely at the color of the product - the white color of the meat will tell about its readiness. 2) Place the prepared seafood (peeled and defrosted) in a slow cooker, pour cold filtered water, add your favorite spices with salt and set the “steaming” mode on the device for 3 minutes.
  • In a double boiler, a prepared sea-dweller is cooked for 5 minutes.
  • Squid can also be cooked in a pressure cooker and other kitchen appliances.

    After processing squid in any way, it is better to eat them right away, because after a long time, they can become tough. Even after 20 minutes, the product may simply dry out. If purple spots remain on the edges of the food, trim them off, as they can cause bitterness to the food. To make the product more saturated and spicy taste, you can lightly fry it in a hot skillet for a few minutes.

    It contains a large amount of protein and vitamins, and its taste with a touch of sophistication leaves few people indifferent.

    But in order to feel the unique taste of the delicacy, it must be cooked correctly, because there is a risk of digesting squids, which is why they acquire an unpleasant "rubbery" taste. Let's figure out together how to cook squid correctly.

    Cooking squid for salad

    Salads are the most common dish where you can find him. But before you cook the squid for salad, you need to peel them. This is done quickly and easily. It is enough to pour boiling water over the clam for a couple of seconds (but no more!).

    You will see how the film covering his body will curl up, and then it can be easily removed. Then you need to rinse the cleaned carcass under running cold water, and then start cooking.

    It must be remembered that boiling on the stove should be only two minutes so that they are soft. If you cook them longer than the specified time, the shellfish will taste "rubbery" and, accordingly, tasteless. It can be determined that it is completely cooked by its color: it should turn white.

    If you are cooking several carcasses at a time, then you should not throw them all in the pan. Put one at a time in boiling water, take it out after cooking and only then cook the next one.

    Can spices be added during cooking? Of course. Pepper, dill, basil, cloves - whatever your heart desires. Only the main thing is not to overdo it.

    There is a second way to cook squid for salad. It implies the following actions:

    1. Take frozen unpeeled cephalopods, peel them as above and rinse.
    2. Boil water in a saucepan (or pour boiling water from a kettle).
    3. Dip peeled carcasses into a pot of water.
    4. Cover the pot with a lid and wait 10 minutes. Ready!

    It is worth noting here that this method can be used when you need to cook a few carcasses. If there are many of them, then it is better to use the first method.

    You can cook them using kitchen appliances. Any housewife should know how to cook squid for salad in the microwave.

    By analogy with the first method described above, we take the previously thawed peeled and washed fillet, put it in a special thermal dish, tightly close the lid and put it in the microwave for exactly two minutes.

    And how to cook squid for salad in a slow cooker? Almost the same. Pour water into the multicooker bowl so that it covers all the meat, and set the "Cooking" mode for two minutes. The time for cooking, as you noticed, is the same everywhere - it is quite enough for the delicacy to be completely cooked.

    Separately, it should be noted that before cooking, you need to make sure that the product is completely defrosted, otherwise they will turn out to be undercooked. At the same time, you need to defrost them either in a natural way - just leave them in a warm room, or with the help of cold water.

    Never defrost the delicacy with hot water - it will simply darken.

    It would seem that it is very simple - to cook. However, there are several nuances here that will turn out to be useful tips.

    1. As a rule, small sizes are tastier than large ones.
    2. Add more salt to the pot before boiling - the clam will taste much better.
    3. Lemon juice will give a special taste and juiciness.
    4. You already know how much you need to cook squid, but if it suddenly turns out that they turn out to be overcooked, do not worry - leave them on the stove for another half hour. True, they will decrease a little in size, but at least this way you will not have to throw it out.
    5. If you are cooking soup, for example, add them to the dish last, when it’s ready.
    6. Do not mix squid and products that have a pungent smell - this will overpower the delicate taste of the delicacy. There should be more shellfish in the dish than the rest of the ingredients.

    How to choose a squid

    It is very important in this article to talk about how to choose squid for a salad, because the quality of the product and its taste, and, therefore, the success of the dish itself, depend on the correctness of this choice.

    The stores are presented in three types:

    • carcasses;
    • fillet;
    • rings.

    Most often, housewives purchase carcasses - they are almost ready for use, and you don't have to tinker with them for a long time.

    Rings and fillets are also a very convenient option, you don't even need to cut them here, only both rings and fillets are chemically treated during the production process, so it is best to buy ordinary carcasses, you can frozen, unpeeled.

    Commercially available squid should be frozen or chilled as it is perishable.

    So, in order to choose the right one, you need to follow simple and uncomplicated rules.

    1. Buy only frozen, unpeeled cephalopods. Choose carcasses that are small in size, without visible damage.
    2. Pay attention to how it is packed. The packaging must be tight, intact, without cuts or damage. If they are sold without packaging and you notice that they are stuck together and there is too much ice on them, then they have been repeatedly frozen and thawed, which is considered fatal. It is better not to purchase such a product - during cooking it can simply fall apart, and its taste in such cases leaves much to be desired.

    Products should be easily separated from each other - this means that they have not been subjected to repeated and prolonged freezing.

    1. It is also worth paying attention to the color. Fresh, properly frozen, usually a gray-purple or pink-brown hue. The pulp inside must certainly be white or creamy. If the flesh is gray, then most likely it is an old cephalopod, and the meat of old squids is tough and tasteless. It is also possible that the product was improperly stored. A yellow carcass is a sign that there is a delay.
    2. The consistency should be firm, firm and uniform. A viscous and thin consistency, as a rule, indicates the expiration of the product.
    3. It is important to sniff the squid before buying. Fresh, properly frozen and stored smells like a subtle, subtle fish scent. An unpleasant smell suggests that it is old or has deteriorated long ago.
    4. There should be no damage to the product. This is very important, because such a carcass can simply "burst" during cooking.

    In conclusion, we note that in order to choose and cook correctly, you need to be careful and have useful knowledge... As you can see, there is nothing complicated about it. This shellfish is delicious, tender and healthy.

    When choosing a product, pay attention not to color, shape, density, freezing and storage conditions. You need to cook for no more than two minutes.

    This seafood is very nutritious. Squid meat contains many vitamins and microelements valuable for humans: vitamins B, C, PP, calcium, iodine, manganese, iron. A properly prepared product is easy to digest and has a delicate, pleasant taste.

    How to choose and prepare squids for cooking

    Fresh squids are rarely found on sale, as a rule, already frozen carcasses are delivered to the shelves. What you need to pay attention to when choosing seafood:

    • the fillet must be white (otherwise the product is spoiled);
    • skin color can be either grayish-whitish or light pink;
    • large squids with dense elastic meat are suitable for salad, and small carcasses are ideal for stuffing, since they are tender and soft;
    • frozen fillets should be easily separated from each other, if the carcasses are stuck together - they have been frozen several times already;
    • consuming expired products is dangerous to health, so pay attention to the expiration date.

    Before cooking seafood at home, you should defrost it. For this, the mollusks are placed in a container with cold or warm water(but not hot) and leave for a while. After defrosting, the carcass should be peeled. The easiest way to remove the film is by first pouring boiling water over the product. It is necessary to clean squid not only by removing the skin, but also the insides and bones.

    How long does it take to cook squid so that they are soft

    Some housewives do not know how to cook squid correctly, so they avoid cooking dishes containing this ingredient. Meanwhile, it is a very simple process that does not require any special skills. The main thing is to prevent prolonged cooking of seafood. If you overexpose the carcasses in boiling water for longer than the necessary time, instead of gentle and soft meat it will turn out tough and tasteless. How many minutes to cook squid? It all depends on the form in which you are going to cook the product.

    Purified

    Delicious seafood is prepared very quickly and easily. How to cook peeled squid:

    • fill the pot with water, wait for it to boil;
    • add salt, seasonings to the water;
    • place thawed and peeled shellfish in boiling water for 2 minutes (the meat should turn white), then drain the water;
    • if you have overcooked the product, leave the pan on the fire for another 30 minutes - during this time the fillet will become soft again;
    • after boiling the carcasses, cut them into rings and serve with beer.

    Unrefined

    How to cook calamari with foil? There is no big difference between the method of cooking unpeeled and "naked" carcasses - the difference lies in the time required for cooking. How to boil squid in the skin:

    • defrost carcasses;
    • put a pot of water on the stove;
    • when the liquid starts to boil, add bay leaves, salt, allspice;
    • put the carcasses in the pan, turn off the heat and cover the container with a lid so that the steam does not leave it;
    • after 10 minutes, remove the seafood from the water.

    How to cook frozen squid rings

    It is more convenient to cook a whole shellfish than rings, since it will be difficult to quickly remove all the pieces from the boiling water. In addition, rings are easier to digest than larger carcasses. However, if you have already purchased a sliced ​​product, there are several ways to cook squid with rings:

    1. First option. Boil water, adding spices to taste. It can be bay leaves, white / black pepper, herbs, etc. On a slotted spoon, dip a couple of rings into boiling water, counting to 10, take them out. So, in turn, boil all the pieces. Serve the boiled dish chilled.
    2. Second option. Pour all the rings into boiling water, wait a minute and remove the container from the heat. The pieces can be removed from the water after 3 minutes. It is not worth keeping them in liquid longer, otherwise they will become "rubbery".
    3. Third method. Boil half a liter of water, season it with spices. Send the defrosted rings inside, cover the dishes and immediately remove from the stove. Do not open the lid for 5 minutes, after which the dish will be ready to eat.
    4. Fourth way. Fill the multicooker halfway with water, turn on the "Putting out" option. Add seasoning (you can use paprika, any pepper, marjoram, cloves, lemon juice, etc.). After boiling the liquid, place the rings in the bowl and leave to cook for 1-2 minutes. You can find out about their readiness by white- then the pieces can be removed.

    Video recipes: how to cook squid for salad