How And How Much To Cook Frozen Squids So That They Are Soft (rings, Fillets, Whole Carcasses), For Salad And Other Needs

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Note to the hostess: cooking frozen squid

Mediterranean cuisine is no longer a novelty for us, and squid is an integral part of it, like other seafood. They are not only tasty, but also very useful, especially for those who care about their figure. Each housewife has several recipes for this seafood. But do we know how to cook squid correctly? Here are some tips to help you get through this task easily and error-free.

Selection rules and preparation of squid for cooking

Squid can be bought today in almost any supermarket. Most often they are sold frozen, with or without tentacles of your choice. During storage, squid carcasses cannot be thawed and cooled again, otherwise the product will be hopelessly spoiled: a bitter taste and an unpleasant fishy smell will appear in it. In addition, during cooking, the squid will creep and foam when cooking.

If stored correctly, the squid will be firm, the meat is white, and the top rind is pink-brown or grayish-purple.

When stored properly, the squid carcass has this color

If you are confident in the freshness and good quality of the squid, you can buy peeled carcasses. There will be practically no hassle with them: there is no need to peel the skin off, which means that the cooking process will not take much time.

The easiest way to clean frozen squid is with boiling water. Just pour boiling water over the carcasses or immerse them in it for literally 1-2 seconds. The film that covers the carcass will immediately curl up and you can easily remove it, and the remains can be washed off in cold running water. Also peel the wings off. The chitinous plates inside the squid also need to be removed.

Peeling squid is a must if you plan to use their meat for salad. However, this is also useful for other dishes: the skin can give a bitter taste and hardness, and the plates are generally superfluous.

Cooking features

The main thing to remember in the cooking process is that the squid should be boiled for no more than 2-3 minutes. Otherwise, the meat can acquire a "rubber" consistency and lose a lot in taste. When the squid completely turns white in boiling water, it is considered ready.

It is most convenient to cook squid carcasses in small portions. Dip 1–2 carcasses into a pot of boiling water, take out and place the next ones. Moreover, during cooking, you can use, in addition to salt, any seasonings and spices: pepper, dill, parsley, cloves, basil.

The finished squid carcass turns white

There are several simple ways to boil squid.

1. Place a pot of water over high heat, add salt and spices to taste, and bring to a boil. Put a couple of carcasses in boiling water and keep it for no longer than 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
2. Boil 1–1.5 liters of water, add salt and spices. Lower thawed and prepared carcasses. Cover the pot with a lid and remove from heat. After 10 minutes, the meat is infused and ready. With the gradual cooling of the water, the squid carcasses will not become tough.
3. If you have a lot of squid meat, use this method. Pour as much water into a saucepan as needed to fit all the meat, salt and add spices. When the water boils over high heat, dip the prepared squid into it. Wait for the water to boil again, cover the pan with a lid, remove from heat and let it brew for 5 minutes. The water can then be drained off.
4. You don't need to defrost the squid before cooking. In this case, the carcasses are immersed in boiling water for 1 minute, after which the pan is removed from the heat and soaked in water for 3-4 minutes.
5. If you don't want to peel the squid before cooking, you can put them in boiling water straight from the package without cutting. Frozen unpeeled carcasses are boiled for about 7 minutes, defrosted - no more than 3 minutes. After that, rinse them with cold water, and you can easily peel the meat from the skin.

These rules apply equally to whole carcasses, rings and squid fillets.

Several nuances

Boiled squid can be used to prepare many dishes. These can be salads, pie or pizza toppings, soups, and more. And as a separate dish, squid will take its rightful place on your table.

For the salad, cook the squid meat for 7-10 minutes until tender (white), and you may not defrost them before cooking. If you want to make stuffed squid or fry them after boiling, it is enough to keep them in boiling water for 3 minutes and remove. The meat will reach its final cooking during stewing or frying.

Most often boiled squid is used for making salads.

You can cook squid not only in a pot of water, because now there are so many devices that make it easier for the hostess to work! Cooking time for squid meat in various devices:

• in a slow cooker - 2 minutes;
• in a double boiler - 5 minutes;
• in a pressure cooker - 1 minute;
• in the microwave - 1 minute at maximum setting, after adding oil, lemon juice and spices.

With the latter method, you get squid in your own juice. They are great for a salad or as a stand-alone meal, such as a beer snack.

Video: how to cook squid correctly

Correcting mistakes: fixing our own mistakes

Often the first pancake comes out lumpy, and if you are still inexperienced in cooking squid, mistakes cannot be avoided. The most common trouble is that the meat has been in boiling water for a long time, which means it has become tough. It turns out that this is not difficult to fix. Put the carcasses in boiling water again and cook for as long as possible, at least half an hour. The meat will become soft again, however, it will almost halve in volume. It can also lose its taste.

Overcooked squid can be "revived" by stewing in sour cream or cream

To avoid unpleasant aftertaste and hardness, cut the overcooked squid into slices and simmer them over low heat for 20 minutes in cream or sour cream. Thanks to this method, you can correct the situation if the meat is too salted. For a salad, such a squid is no longer suitable, but as a separate dish with a side dish, it will perfectly complement a dinner for the whole family.

We hope these tips will help you enjoy the rich flavor of properly cooked squid meat and avoid the most common mistakes. Bon appetit and comfort to your home!