Squids are a sea food that can often be seen on store shelves, but how and what can you cook from it? The first thing that comes to mind is salads. But squids can be used to cook a variety of yummy foods: they can be stewed, baked, marinated and even boiled soups. Perhaps one of the reasons why such products do not appear often in our shopping basket is the lack of knowledge about the cooking technology of this capricious product.
Today we will try to fix this error. Let us dwell on the culinary direction, which will allow us to create several types of dishes from mollusks at once : hot dishes and cold snacks. And it will take quite a bit for this - to learn how to stuff squids. In this form, they can be baked in the oven or just chilled and cut - so on your table there will be a huge variety of new dishes. How to stuff squids, how to cook the forcemeat that’s good for this, and how to present excellent treats to the festive table — we’ll talk about this today.
How to boil squid
Many people know that before using squid in cooking, it needs to be boiled. But here is the bad luck - each hostess does it her own way and claims that her method is the most faithful. Some recommend the clam to cook for 30 seconds, others - 5 minutes, and some - up to half an hour. In fact, this is a matter of taste, many recognized chefs generally recommend not to boil the carcasses, but simply pickle and serve with the sauce. Fresh meat has the most saturated taste, aroma, and it will be tender. Raw clam meat is digested very well, but if you are not a fan of sushi, and this option disgusts you, before you start squid, boil them lightly.
Stuffing Preparation
In fact, boil the carcasses in boiling water for no more than 2 minutes, so they will have time to boil, but the meat will not turn into a piece of rubber. You need to lower the squid in boiling water after boiling the water, after adding salt and adding spices (bay leaf and peppercorns). If for some reason you overexposed the meat - do not be discouraged. Boil the carcass for about 30 minutes - and softness will return to them, although the size will be significantly reduced.
If you plan to bake the dish in the oven in the future or fry the carcasses in oil, then before you start squid, you can not boil them. They are well baked, and the meat certainly will not remain raw, but, on the contrary, will be tender. But if further heat treatment does not follow - boil the carcasses for a couple of minutes.
Stuffing for baking
Let us dwell on several options for how to start squid for baking or further frying. To do this, you will need to stuff the carcasses not very tightly, otherwise the meat will leak when baking. Grease with mayonnaise or pre-prepared sauce and put in the oven.
Vegetable Filling
How can you start squid? Vegetables, for example. This recipe is simple enough and does not take much time to prepare. Take some fresh mushrooms, a couple of tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, a medium onion, a good handful of shredded cabbage, a few feathers of green onions. Finely chop all the ingredients, fry in a saucepan in vegetable oil, salt, add a little ground pepper. Let the filling cool. Now stuff the carcasses and lay them on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle some squid on top with salt and sugar. Place the pan in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Serve with vinegar and soy sauce.
We start with minced meat
Perhaps one of the best options for squid stuffing is minced meat. You can take any meat: chicken or veal, in general, what is more to your taste. Take a fresh carrot, onion, medium tomato, a couple of cloves of garlic. Fry chopped vegetables in a pan, when they become soft - enter the minced meat. Stir constantly, fry until slightly brownish. Salt, add spices and a tablespoon of flour, the mass should become a little viscous. Cool the filling. Stuff the carcasses; fasten the open edge with a toothpick. After dipping the squid in a beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs (flour or semolina), fry the squid stuffed in a large amount of oil in a deep pan. The recipe will quickly and permanently settle among the loved ones in your family. The dish is hearty, tasty and aromatic. Squids will be tasty hot and cold the next day as a snack.
Mushroom and rice minced with cheese
Squid stuffed with rice and mushrooms is a great dish. All products have a delicate taste and perfectly emphasize the aroma of each other. For half a glass of cooked rice, take 300 grams of mushrooms, a couple of spoons of sour cream and mayonnaise, 100 grams of cheese, onion, a large clove of garlic. Fry onions and mushrooms, cool, add a spoonful of sour cream and half the grated cheese. Salt, pepper, add greens and mayonnaise. Mix. Stuff the carcasses, fasten the open edge. Make a fill: mix sour cream, garlic. Squids a little fry in oil. Put them in a baking dish, grease with sour cream sauce and sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese on top and put in the oven. If the cheese has melted, the stuffed squid is ready. The recipe is simple, but it is worthy to take a place at any holiday.
Squid with chicken and mushrooms in white wine
Another great option for how to stuff squid for baking. Take 200 grams of chicken, some fresh mushrooms, a large onion, half a glass of boiled rice, hard-boiled egg, spices and herbs. Cut the meat finely and fry, add onion to it and a little later - mushrooms. Season with spices and herbs, combine with rice and chopped egg. Stuff the carcasses. Mix garlic with mayonnaise, spread the squid with this sauce. We put them in a heat-resistant bowl, pour a little white wine (100 grams) and put in the oven for 15 minutes.
Squids stuffed with cabbage in tomato sauce
A great way - you get very tasty and tender stuffed squids. The recipe is very simple, and the ingredients for it are found in every home. Take a little fresh cabbage, a couple of hard-boiled eggs, 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce or fresh tomatoes. A large onion, any greens, spices and salt. Finely chop the cabbage and stew until medium ready, pour the finely chopped onion to it. Add greens and chopped eggs. When the forcemeat cools down - fill the carcasses. Glue the edges and lightly fry in oil. Almost ready. Add the squid to the roasting pan, add some water and tomato, stewing for about 15-20 minutes.
Squid with minced fish and shrimp
Do you want to buy squid for dinner? How to start them, have not decided yet? Shellfish go very well to taste with other seafood or fish. And most importantly - all these products are quickly cooked. Take the fish fillet. 300 grams (salmon or pink salmon), without bones. A large onion, a couple of eggs, about a dozen shrimps, lemon, a couple of spoons of tomato paste (you can chop the dried tomatoes finely ). Thoroughly clean the fish from skin and bones, finely chop. Shrimps need to be cleaned of shell, chopped. Cook the eggs, then clean and chop finely. We chop onions. Add spices, chopped herbs, pepper and salt, a little lemon juice, mix and let it brew for a bit - the mince is ready. Fill the squid with filling, fasten the hole with a toothpick. We lay the carcasses in a roasting pan, pour the mixture of sour cream and tomato on top. We put in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. If desired, squid can be lightly sprinkled with grated cheese. Serve with quarters of lemon. Great hot meal ready!
Cold snacks
They are simply irreplaceable at any party. So why not dilute the usual meat cuts with seafood? How to stuff squids for the festive table? Any filling that you like. Try to cook some recipes, choose the best of them and boldly decorate the festive table with dishes. If you do not plan to bake the carcasses after stuffing, then it is better to boil them first, and only then cook the stuffed squid. Choose a recipe to your taste, but rather cook a few, but little by little - there will be an excellent variety of cuts. Before serving squid carcasses, put under a small press and put in the refrigerator - this way the filling will become denser and will not crumble when sliced.
Garlic Spicy Appetizer
A very simple recipe. Boil a few eggs, grate them and hard cheese on a medium grater. No solid - take processed without fillers, it is perfect. Add pressed garlic, chopped dill, add mayonnaise and mix. It remains only to stuff the squid mixture. Cool under oppression - done, now just cut into rings.
Squid stuffed with crab meat
How to start the squid tasty, quickly and not waste time frying - because the guests are already on the doorstep? There is one excellent recipe with crab meat, it is quite possible to replace it with chopsticks. You will need: a little Beijing cabbage, boiled eggs, mayonnaise, crab sticks, a little sorrel (or without it), fresh herbs. You need to finely chop all the ingredients, mix, season with mayonnaise and stuff the carcasses. Cut into rings, decorate with lemon slices and treat unexpected guests.
Squids will look great on any festive table or home dinner by candlelight . How to stuff them is a matter of everyone’s taste. Someone prefers gentle and soft combinations, someone will like an unobtrusive speck. Try your options, add new ingredients, mix flavors and tastes - maybe you yourself will come up with and prepare an amazing dish for your family. Do not leave such a product unattended, it is very useful, is dietary and simply necessary for people of advanced age, because it is not in vain that it is called "heart balm". And yes! Good appetite!