Squids, a favorite delicacy of millions of people, belong to the subspecies of cephalopods, which, in addition to the squids themselves, includes cuttlefish and octopuses.
How to cook squid? “Yes, it’s simple,” anyone will answer, “throw in boiling water for 3-5 minutes.” And it will be wrong. The result of such cooking will please except a very inexperienced person, for whom squids are a rarity.
Cooking squids correctly is a whole art, to which a cycle of classes is dedicated in specialized chef schools (though, cutting of cephalopods is also included in the lecture plan). And in Sydney, at the famous Fish Market, there is a Squid school, the training in which is aimed only at the proper preparation of these clams, which can hardly be called clams.
So, there are only three cooking methods that answer the question "How to cook squid?" - Super-fast, very fast and very long. Also with heat for cooking squid - either a very large fire, or small-small.
You should first consider the second, most common way to cook squid, code-named "very fast." Cooking squids correctly means practically blanching them in boiling water. In the cooking water we add peppercorns, bay leaves, salt, parsley and dill can be whole branches, previously tied in a "bouquet". We throw the prepared carcass into steeply boiling water, quickly count to ten and pull out a slotted spoon. All! Squids are ready. Probably, it is worth mentioning that previously squids need to be gutted (sold squid and giblets are sold) and peeled off the skin-peel. It is better to lower the squid in boiling water one at a time - it is easier to catch and less risk of digesting, while the first squid is pulled out. We launch the next into the water only when it boils again. That squid that has already passed the boiling water, you immediately need to cool under running water to stop thermal processes. Just don’t boil the squid for 3 minutes recommended by many authors. Pity the product!
Italians answer the question "How to cook squid?" in my own way. It is their method that takes place under our motto "super-fast." By the way, Australians mostly support them. With this method of cooking squid is not boiled at all. Many people know: to easily remove the skin from the squid, you need to pour boiling water on it for a couple of moments. Italians believe that after cleaning the squid, it is worth pouring boiling water on it again, and no cooking. After a minute, drain the water, sprinkle the hot squid with vinegar or lemon juice (to taste) and leave to cool. Squids cooked in this way are guaranteed not to be digested. But if you overexpose in boiling water, they will turn into a kind of rubber - both in appearance and in taste, greatly decreasing in size.
When the squids are still not followed and the wrinkled rubber hard squids do not stimulate appetite anymore, the third method takes effect - “a very long time”. By the way, many people living in coastal areas do not recognize quick ways to cook squid, considering that it is not worth eating "raw" cephalopods. A great feature of squid is that the “rubber” product after 30 minutes of heat treatment becomes soft and edible again. True, it boils almost twice. So, this method is suitable for those who have a lot of these squids. Small, slow fire, 30-90 minutes of processing and "voila"! This method is suitable for preparing exotic dishes, for example, "Squid stuffed with rice, with fresh tomato sauce, basil and thyme." Beauty! Here's another: "Squid in red wine with garlic and sage." When cooking for a long time, the squid saucepan must be closed, and you can cook not only on the stove, but also in the oven, observing the same principle: a small fire and more than 30 minutes.
How to cook frozen squid? Yes, just the same: pre-defrost completely, clean from the insides, pour boiling water to remove the skin, and begin to think on the topic "How to cook squid?", Sorting out all of the above methods in your mind.
In conclusion, it’s worth saying that our simplest methods - boil squid and salad - can be slightly modified if you marinate after cleaning the squid in milk or yogurt, lime or lemon juice, cook the pickled squid on a grill (very fast) or barbecue, fry in batter (super-fast). Squids can be beaten before frying, like regular chops. There are many varied dishes with squid. Even listing them will take a lot of time and place.
Well, the simplest tips on "How to cook squid?" handed out. Now the choice is for those who want to treat themselves to squid: very quickly and gently, or go the beaten track and cook for 3 minutes? Everyone has their own answer!