How to cook squid so that the meat is tender. How and how much to cook in a microwave oven

Seafood is often used for salads because of its healthiness and taste. For example, squid. The taste of the finished dish is determined by how correctly they are cooked. Therefore, you need to know some rules on how to cook squid for salad.

Selection of seafood carcasses

If we talk about the usefulness of the product, they are very rich in various microelements, vitamins and proteins. Also, their use promotes the secretion of gastric juice. In addition, squid has a very affordable price compared to other seafood.

When making a purchase, you should pay attention to some factors. Basically, we sell squid frozen, however, if you have the opportunity to buy a fresh product, you should prefer it. This way you can see how fresh the squid is.

If you do not have the opportunity to buy fresh squid, then it is better to purchase a frozen carcass unpeeled. The skin can be an excellent indicator of the freshness of this seafood.

The presence of yellow or gray-white color, the absence of whiteness of the meat inside the squid indicates that the product is stale.

Also, staleness is indicated by the unpleasant smell of old fish; after cooking, a bitter aftertaste will appear in the product. This may well be an indicator of improper storage.

Squid cleaning

If, nevertheless, you chose unpeeled seafood, now you need to completely clean it. There are two ways.

The first is to quickly dip the carcass in boiling water. The peel, almost all of it, curls up. Rinse the squid further under cold water, removing any remaining skin. You also need to remember to clean the skin from the wings and remove the internal chitinous plates.

The second way to remove the skin is to lightly pry it near the place where the tentacles used to be. Pull it towards the tail - it should come off well and immediately. But this is easy to achieve only if the storage technology is not compromised.

If there are pieces of film left, scrape it off very carefully with a rounded knife.

How to cook squid for salad

To prepare delicious squid for salad, you need to prepare a marinade.

We will need:

  • 2 liters of water per 1 kg of squid;
  • 2 tablespoons salt;
  • 3 tablespoons sugar;
  • 1.5-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar;
  • 5 allspice peas;
  • 2 bay leaves.

Place everything in a saucepan and boil the marinade. Let it simmer well.

Dip the squid in small portions into the marinade; their cooking time should be no more than one minute, maybe up to two minutes maximum.

Otherwise, your carcasses will acquire a rubbery taste.

Then remove them from the heat and let cool in the marinade.

Unused squid can be stored in the marinade in the refrigerator for a while.

Preparing squid salads is quite simple and quick. To do this, you just need to know how to properly prepare seafood for use. After all, if you overcook them, the tentacles, rings or carcasses will become tough. Therefore, for our readers we have selected useful recipes with photos and videos. In them you can learn how to cook squid so that they are soft and tender. Seafood can be either frozen or unpeeled. With our simple instructions, every housewife will know how long and with what spices they should be cooked.

How to cook squid for salad so that it is soft - step-by-step cooking recipe

To properly cook squid, you need to take care of choosing a fresh carcass, rings or tentacles. They should have a minimum of glazed ice crust. The color of the carcasses should be light. Before using seafood, it is recommended to defrost it in cold water. Next, you will need to properly clean the squid: its skin can be bitter and give an unpleasant taste to the finished dish. Avoiding such mistakes is quite easy. We talked about how to cook soft and tender squid for salad in the following recipe.

Ingredients for properly cooking soft squid before adding to salad

  • squid;
  • water;
  • salt.

Step-by-step recipe for boiling squid to add to salad to make it soft


How to cook frozen squid so that it is soft - a simple video recipe

It is not necessary to completely defrost seafood before cooking. And the following video recipe is proof of this. It describes in detail how to properly cook frozen squid so that they are soft and juicy.

A simple recipe with a video of step-by-step cooking of frozen squid so that it is soft

If you don’t have time to defrost seafood, housewives will certainly come in handy with the following recipe. It will help you easily prepare frozen carcasses for adding to salads or creating snacks.

How long to cook squids after boiling water so that they are not tough - a simple recipe

Chefs recommend boiling squid for no more than 2-3 minutes. Otherwise, the seafood will become tough. But if the carcasses are still overcooked, we recommend extending their cooking for another 20-30 minutes. During this time they will become more soft. True, they won’t become tender anymore. Our next recipe will help housewives not to miss the moment of removing carcasses from boiling water. With its help, we will tell you how long to cook squids after boiling water so that they are not tough.

Ingredients for cooking squid in boiling water so that they are not tough

  • squid;
  • water;
  • salt.

A simple recipe for boiling squid so that it is not tough, in boiling water


How to cook unpeeled squid until tender - step-by-step recipe with video

Cooking unpeeled squid carcasses is not much more difficult than peeled fillets. But you need to remember that the skin must be removed from them before slicing into a salad. In the video we have selected, you can learn how to cook unpeeled squid until tender.

Step-by-step video indicating the cooking time for unpeeled squid until fully cooked

In the following recipe, our readers will be able to learn how to cook unpeeled squid carcasses. This recipe will be very useful for those who do not have time to spend a long time preparing seafood for use.

How to cook squid rings for salad - a simple recipe with photo instructions

Preparing soft and tender squid rings is as easy as shelling pears. This ingredient is great for quickly preparing salads. It does not require lengthy preparation. And besides, it’s ready to use in literally 1 minute! We will tell you how to properly cook squid rings so that they are soft and surprisingly tasty.

List of ingredients for boiling squid rings before adding to salad

  • squid rings;
  • water;
  • salt;
  • vinegar.

Photo instructions for the recipe for cooking squid rings for salad


How to properly cook squid carcasses - detailed photo recipe

The main requirement for cooking squid is to place it loosely in the pan. If you need to cook several carcasses for a salad, then the work should be carried out separately for each squid. This will prevent the product from being undercooked and will prevent you from getting “rubbery” seafood. In the following simple recipe, we will tell housewives how to properly cook whole squid carcasses.

Ingredients for properly boiling squid carcasses

  • whole carcasses;
  • water;
  • salt;
  • lemon.

Photo recipe with detailed rules for cooking squid carcasses


How to cook squid tentacles for salad - step-by-step recipe video

Adding soft tentacles to any salads allows you to give them an original taste and appearance. You just need to prepare this ingredient correctly. In the following video recipe you can learn how to cook squid tentacles easily and simply.

Step-by-step video recipe for boiling squid tentacles for adding to salads

Cooking soft and juicy tentacles is a science. But with the help of the video recipe we have selected, you can easily understand the nuances of preparing such a “capricious” ingredient.

How to cook squid so that it is tender - a simple recipe with step-by-step photos

There are many ways to cook squid deliciously. To do this, they can be boiled together with different spices or served with unusual dressings. But not every ingredient can add special tenderness to seafood. Kiwi can be considered the most effective in this case. Our next recipe will tell you step by step how to properly cook squid and prepare it for adding to a salad so that the carcasses become tender and soft.

List of ingredients for boiling tender squid

  • squid;
  • water;
  • salt;
  • kiwi.

A simple recipe with step-by-step photos for boiling squid so that it is tender


How to cook squid for salad so that it is not tasteless - a recipe with useful tips

Many housewives do not like the usual cooking of squid in salted water due to the lack of a distinct taste of these seafood. We know how to emphasize their tenderness and unusualness with the simplest spices. We talked about this in the next recipe. With its help you can learn how to cook squid for salad so that it is not tasteless.

Ingredients for boiling squid for salad so that it is not tasteless

  • sweet peas (can be replaced with coriander seeds, dill);
  • squid;
  • water;
  • salt;
  • Bay leaf;
  • lemon juice.

Recipe with rules for boiling squid to add to salad so that it is not tasteless


How long to cook squid fillet for salad - step-by-step video recipe

There are quite a few options for boiling squid. However, when adding different spices, their cooking time can vary significantly. And in the next video recipe, our readers will be able to find out how much to cook squid fillet to add to the most popular salads.

Step-by-step recipe with video instructions on how long to cook squid fillet for salads

With the help of the following recipe, every housewife can learn how to cook squid. Using the ingredients suggested in the video, you can make the fillets not just tasteless, but also very appetizing.

Using the recipes we have selected with photos and videos, you can find out how long it takes to cook squid carcasses, rings and tentacles. Useful information will help you easily prepare a delicious salad with soft and tender seafood. We have selected the best instructions that tell you how to cook both uncleaned and frozen carcasses. With their help you can learn how to cook squid and what spices they are combined with.

Properly cooked shellfish should be white with a slight pinkish tint, have tender and juicy soft meat, and stimulate the appetite with a subtle and clean aroma of seafood. In this case, the benefit of this gift of the sea will be maximum, and there is a lot of it - vitamins, unique protein, a minimum of calories with high nutritional value.

How to select and prepare squid?

The 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 making salads.

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

  • you need to buy shellfish only in large supermarkets. Purchasing them from dubious stores is undesirable. Such retail outlets, as a rule, do not comply with frozen product storage standards;
  • quality seafood has white meat color, sometimes pink or slightly purple tinged. The yellowness of the carcass indicates its spoilage and poor quality;
  • a good frozen clam cannot be one icy pile, carcasses should be easily separated from one another. Otherwise, this indicates that the squid was defrosted and re-frozen several times, which in the future will have a very bad effect on the taste of the product;
  • on shellfish there should not be a thick ice coating (glaze), if any, this indicates dishonesty of the seller. By purchasing this product and defrosting it, you will get much less weight than stated on the packaging. A person simply overpays for ordinary water;
  • quality seafood has quite elastic carcass and easily restore their original shape when compressed. If the shellfish is soft or jelly-like, it will not be possible to prepare a tasty salad from such a delicacy.

Frozen carcasses are thawed immediately before cooking.

It's best to let the squid thaw on its own.

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

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

It happens that there is little time to prepare a salad, and the frozen product needs to be used as quickly as possible.

What to do in this situation? The main rule is not to put frozen carcasses or rings in boiling water, otherwise there is a high risk of getting tough and tasteless meat. To quickly defrost, it is correct to place frozen shellfish carcasses in a container with water at room temperature.

This way they will thaw much faster. The product is defrosted, which means you can start cleaning it. Place the squid in a pan and pour boiling water over it 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 inside of the clam for the presence of spinal plates.

These insides look like clear strips of plastic and need to be pulled out.

How to properly cook squid for salad? Inexperienced housewives, not knowing exactly how long to cook squid for salad, try to keep the delicacy in the pan longer. It is a mistake to think that shellfish meat will be better cooked and will be tender and mild in taste. This is a special product, not meat or vegetables,.

prolonged cooking, stewing, frying only worsens its taste, making it tough

Fresh squid

After cleaning, fresh carcasses must be thoroughly rinsed again under cold water and then placed in boiling water for 2 minutes.

This time is enough for the shellfish meat to cook, but remain tender and juicy.

After the cooked squid has cooled, they can be cut into salad. Important!

For cooking the delicacy, take just enough water so that it only slightly covers the carcasses; it is not advisable to fill the pan to the top with water! By the way, the question about what water to cook squid in for salad is also important. True gourmets believe that water should be only slightly salted, without spices or additives

. And especially without lemon juice or sauces. This way the shellfish will give maximum of its natural pure taste.

But many people want to improve the taste of the product; during the cooking process, various spices are added to the pan: allspice or black peppercorns, dried or fresh herbs. You can get a spicy seafood taste by adding orange or lemon zest to the water in which squid is boiled.

Frozen squid

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

Before cooking, the fillets are thawed, washed under running water and placed in a pan with boiling water. Cooked in the same way as fresh -.

Unpeeled frozen squid have a pink or purple skin tint.

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

You can cook squid using another method. To do this, boil water in a saucepan, put thawed or fresh cleaned shellfish carcasses into another container and pour boiling water over them. Then the container with squid is covered with a lid for a few 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 simply ideal for cooking.

For 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 long should you cook squid 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 the shellfish for no more than 2 minutes, then the meat will be soft and juicy, and the salad will turn out incredibly tasty. If seafood is kept in boiling water, the meat will acquire a dark tint, 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 cooking method has some disadvantages:

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

Rules for storing 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 if eaten, serious poisoning is possible.

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

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

Useful video

Briefly about cooking squid for salad in this video:

Tasty and healthy seafood, rich in valuable proteins and important microelements, was served at grand feasts back in Ancient Greece. Back then, “winged fish” was considered an amazing delicacy, and it remains so today. Squids have high nutritional value and low calorie content, so carcasses and tentacles are often used as an ingredient for salads, pasta, risotto, stews, ravioli and other delicacies. But the dietary mollusk also often serves as the basis for another culinary delight: squids are stuffed, baked in vegetables and herbs, grilled or deep-fried, and even marinated “as an appetizer.” This amazing seafood is full of amazing qualities and has only one drawback: in the process of finishing the squid, it is easy to overcook it in boiling water or steam, which makes it tough and tasteless. At the risk of refuting advice about long-term boiling of shellfish from ancient cookbooks, we will still tell you:

  • how long to cook cleaned squid so that it is soft and tender;
  • how to choose a quality product before purchasing;
  • how to properly process unpeeled seafood;
  • how to cook frozen squid for salad so that it does not lose its delicate natural taste;

Read tips, tricks, secrets and step-by-step recipes in today's article!

How to choose the right squid carcasses to boil, fry or bake

The first thing you should think about before cooking squid is choosing a quality product. Since fresh shellfish are sold exclusively in specialized seafood stores or in departments of large city supermarkets, you often have to settle for frozen ones. Both are great for preparing delicious dishes if they are chosen wisely. We’ll tell you in more detail how to choose the right squid carcasses to boil, fry or bake!

Rules for choosing squid for cooking at home

  • Uncleaned squid may be grey, pinkish, lilac, spotted or speckled. But, nevertheless, the taste of the product does not depend in any way on the color of the upper skin;
  • From fresh seafood, it is better to choose small specimens with a natural smell and intact skin. Cloudy eyes or a strong stench are a sign of staleness;
  • Before buying fresh squid, you should lightly touch it with your fingers. If the skin is sticky, the product has passed its expiration date;
  • Frozen squid fillets should be white or slightly greyish. The yellow color of the shellfish indicates poor quality, long storage or violation of freezing conditions;
  • When choosing frozen squid carcasses for boiling, frying or baking, check whether they were stored correctly. If parts of the mollusk (tentacles, carcasses, rings) are stuck together, the product was most likely defrosted, which is a gross violation of temperature conditions. It is better to buy separately frozen fillets that are not covered with a thick layer of “glaze.”

How to Prepare Fresh Unpeeled Squid for Proper Cooking

Having bought even the best squid, you can ruin it in a matter of minutes by improper pre-processing. They cut it wrong, tore it off in the wrong place, threw away the wrong parts - and that’s it: the seafood lost all its valuable properties and turned into solid minced fish. It's time to learn how to prepare fresh, unpeeled squid in order to cook it properly.

Step-by-step preparation of fresh, unpeeled squid before cooking

  1. Rinse fresh squid thoroughly in cold running water.

  2. With one hand, grab the head of the mollusk between the eyes, and with the other, grab the carcass. Carefully remove the head with tentacles and entrails from the “mantle”.

  3. Cut off the part with the tentacles just below the squid's eye level. Take out the silver pouch with black ink, it can be useful for coloring dough, rice and other dishes. Drain the ink into a small glass container.

  4. Find a hard beak at the point where the tentacles are attached and carefully push it out. Throw away this unnecessary part.

  5. Start with the fins. The “wings” of the squid can be carefully trimmed with a sharp knife or simply pulled together with your hands.

  6. From the inside of the carcass, remove the long transparent ridge - the chord. Feel the fillet to make sure there are no hard parts left.

  7. Run the blunt side of a knife from the tail to the wide end to squeeze out any remaining innards.

  8. Pour boiling water over the fins and carcass, then plunge into cold water. This will make it easier to remove the dark skin from all parts.

  9. Now you can rinse the fresh, prepared and properly cleaned squid meat, cut it and cook it.

How long should you cook squids after boiling water so that they are not tough?

Squid is pure protein! Like other protein products, shellfish meat quickly becomes dry and tough when cooked. Prolonged cooking can turn the most tender fillet into a rubber sole. But not everything is so simple. According to experienced cooks, after 4 minutes of boiling, the squid noticeably hardens and decreases in size, but after 25 minutes it softens and increases again. Those with a large limit of free time can check the fact for accuracy. We suggest to the rest not to go to extremes. For how long to cook the squid after boiling water so that it is not tough, read the basic recipe.

Necessary ingredients for classic squid cooking

  • drinking water - 1 l
  • salt - 1 tsp.

Step-by-step instructions on how to cook squid so that it is not tough

  1. Take 1 liter of clean drinking water into a deep saucepan and add table salt. Place the pot on the fire and bring the water to a boil.
  2. Place pre-cleaned and fully prepared squid carcasses in boiling water for 1.5 - 2.5 minutes.
  3. After the allotted time, carefully catch the seafood with a slotted spoon or discard in a colander.

How long to cook squid fillet until steamed

Necessary ingredients for steaming squid

  • cleaned squid carcasses - 500 g
  • black peppercorns - 3 pcs.
  • bay leaf - 1 pc.

Step-by-step preparation of steamed boiled squid

  1. Place cleaned and thoroughly washed squid carcasses into a steamer container.
  2. Add a bay leaf and a few peppercorns to clean water.
  3. Place the bowls in the device and set the timer for 10 minutes.
  4. If you don’t have a kitchen assistant, use a pressure cooker or the usual combination of a saucepan and a metal sieve. At this time, the squid fillet will need to be cooked for 7-10 minutes until fully cooked.

How to cook peeled squid for salad so that it is not tasteless

The most common problem associated with improper cooking of seafood is the complete loss of flavor and aromatic properties. When choosing squid as one of the main ingredients of the salad, we count on their delicate taste and delicate texture, but we end up with rubber rings that have nothing to do with the delicacy. Such incidents can be avoided by learning in advance how to cook peeled squid for salad so that it is not tasteless.

Necessary ingredients for cooking delicious squid in salad

  • cleaned squid carcasses - 500 g
  • drinking water - 1.3 l
  • juice of half a lemon
  • table salt - 1 tsp.
  • dried thyme - 0.5 tsp.

Step-by-step instructions on how to deliciously cook squid for salad

  1. Add the juice of half a lemon, fine salt and your favorite spices (thyme, coriander, bay leaf, allspice) to 1-1.5 liters of clean drinking water.
  2. Place the pan with the liquid on the stove and bring the marinade to a boil.
  3. Place cleaned and washed squid carcasses in boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. During this period, the seafood for the salad will be cooked and will be more or less dense, but not tasteless.
  4. After 4 minutes, remove the clam fillets to a plate and cool completely before slicing into a dish. Such peeled and properly cooked squid will never be tasteless in a salad.

How to cook frozen squid for salad without first defrosting

Even a strictly limited time for preparing lunch or dinner is not a reason to refuse frozen seafood. We know how to cook frozen squid for salad without first defrosting it. And we will be happy to share the secret with you.

Necessary ingredients for cooking frozen squid into a salad without first defrosting

  • frozen squid – 700 g
  • water - 2.5 l
  • salt - 2 tsp.
  • vinegar - 2 tbsp.
  • spices to taste

Step-by-step instructions for cooking frozen squid for salad without first defrosting

  1. Remove the squid carcasses from the freezer and place them in the sink in a single layer.
  2. Boil 2.5 liters of water with salt, vinegar and spices.
  3. Pour some of the boiling water over the frozen carcasses. Then turn the squid over to the other side and baste again so that half of the “marinade” remains in the pan.
  4. Place the pan back on the burner, and in the meantime, remove the skin and thin backbone from the seafood.
  5. Place the finished fillet in a pan with spicy water and boil for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Remove the finished product with a slotted spoon. In this universal way, you can quickly cook any amount of frozen squid for salad without first defrosting.

How to cook frozen squid so that it is soft after cooking

Squid is a versatile ingredient for a wide variety of dishes. Individual parts of seafood (fillet rings, fins or tentacles) are boiled for salad, fried as a side dish along with vegetables or rice, baked in spices with tasty fillings, or breaded in boiling oil. Since the soft, refined mollusk has a huge amount of useful substances, it is better to defrost frozen squid naturally before cooking. This way the pulp will retain vitamins and minerals, and the structure will remain intact.

Necessary ingredients for cooking soft squid after long-term freezing

  • frozen squid rings - 700 g
  • water - 2 l
  • salt - 1.5 tsp.
  • lemon juice - 2 tbsp.
  • dill greens - 3-4 sprigs

Step-by-step instructions on how to cook frozen squid so that it is soft

  1. Transfer the frozen squid rings from the freezer to the refrigerator. Leave for several hours to thaw.
  2. In a wide saucepan, boil 2-2.5 liters of water with salt and lemon juice.
  3. Place dill sprigs into boiling liquid for 10-15 seconds. Then scoop them out with a slotted spoon and discard.
  4. Drain the seafood and place the rings in boiling water. Keep the pan on the fire for another 45-60 seconds and discard the contents in a colander.
  5. Now you know how to cook frozen squid so that it is soft after cooking. Rings need 1 m of cooking, small pieces - 30 s, carcasses - 2-3 m.

How to cook squid tentacles with vegetables and spices

Regardless of the composition of the dish, during its preparation the squid is placed in the pan last. Long-term processing harms the taste, fiber structure, and beneficial composition of the product. But unlike the carcass or fins, squid tentacles are denser, so you can cook them with vegetables and spices for longer than 3-5 minutes. Take our following recipe videos as an example: watch how to cook squid tentacles with vegetables and spices in your home kitchen.

How to cook squid rings in milk: step-by-step recipe

It turns out that squid rings can be boiled not only in water or broth, but also in milk, as in our next step-by-step recipe. This way the seafood turns out even more tender and delicate, with a subtle aroma of spices and a light aftertaste of vegetables.

Necessary ingredients for boiled squid in milk with vegetables

  • fresh squid – 300 g
  • milk - 1 tbsp.
  • onion - 1 pc.
  • carrots - 1 pc.
  • honey - 1 tsp.
  • salt - to taste
  • ground and allspice

Step-by-step preparation of squid rings boiled in milk with vegetables and spices

  1. Soak fresh squid rings in boiling water for 1 minute.
  2. Boil grated carrots and diced onions in a saucepan with milk.
  3. Place squid rings in the vegetable base, add honey, salt and a mixture of peppers.
  4. Simmer everything together under the lid for 4-5 minutes.
  5. In this simple way, you can quickly cook squid rings in milk (the step-by-step recipe is suitable for any part of the shellfish).

How to cook squid for stuffing so that it is tender

Stuffed squid is one of the most popular options for preparing this shellfish. Therefore, we recommend that you learn how to cook stuffed squid so that it is tender - and feel free to experiment with fillings and sauces.

Necessary ingredients for cooking squid for stuffing

  • squid carcasses - 6 pcs.
  • drinking water - 2 l.
  • salt - 0.5 tsp.
  • vinegar - 3 tbsp.

Step-by-step instructions on how to cook soft and tender squid for stuffing

  1. Boil water with table salt in a wide saucepan.
  2. Add 3 tbsp to boiling water. table vinegar.
  3. Dip the cleaned and washed squid carcasses into the boiling solution and turn off the burner. Soak the fillet in the liquid for 3-5 minutes and drain in a colander.
  4. Such squids for further stuffing will be sufficiently cooked, tasty and tender in texture.

Each national cuisine knows its secrets of preparing fresh and frozen squid (rings, fins, tentacles and whole carcasses). But there are fundamental rules that are the same for everyone: unpeeled seafood must be cleaned, shellfish cannot be overcooked - they will become tough, do not forget about spices - squid will be tasteless. In our article today, you read how long and how to cook squid correctly so that it is soft and tender. All that remains is to translate the acquired knowledge into salads and other delicious recipes.

There are very few people in the world who don't like squid. The seafood itself does not have a pronounced taste, but it gives the salad a certain piquancy. Despite its neutral taste, sea shellfish in salads is recognizable and many will want to enjoy this dish.

It is not a budget product, but this does not stop us from periodically pampering ourselves and our family with very light, tasty and healthy seafood. Having bought an expensive product, you need to know how to properly cook squid so that it is soft, and so that you don’t end up with a rubbery, long-lasting dish from the tender meat.

Today we will get to know the secrets of preparing the tender meat of this sea creature, which we can use to prepare our favorite dishes.

How to properly cook squid for salad

Kitchen appliances and utensils: a kettle or pan for boiling water, convenient dishes for squid.

Ingredients

How to properly clean squid

  • Before you clean and cook frozen squid, you need to defrost it.
  • After this, you can remove the top film of the shellfish carcasses with your hands, or briefly dip them in boiling water, and the top skin on them will curl up from the hot water and come off on its own.
  • Then the seafood must be cut lengthwise and all the entrails removed along with the chitinous chord.

How to properly cook soft squid for salad

Video recipe

I recommend that you watch this short but very informative video, in which the chef shared with us all the secrets of properly preparing squid. Following his recommendations, the seafood meat in the salad will be very tender and tasty.

In this video you will not learn how many minutes to cook cleaned squid, but you will know exactly what needs to be done to make their meat soft.

  • I recommend purchasing unpeeled squid, fresh frozen. The less ice on a frozen carcass, the less time has passed since it was frozen.
    It is difficult to determine quality and freshness from cleaned carcasses sold in stores. But many people still prefer to buy them this way because they don’t know how long to cook the squid after the water boils so that they are soft.
  • You can prepare it according to the above recipe, or cook it for 1 minute after the water with the carcasses boils.

Cooking options

Since you and I have learned how to clean squid, it’s time to prepare a delicious dish from these carcasses. I also want to note that seafood brings great benefits to our body because they are sources of protein, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Therefore, introduce them into your diet more often to get great benefits from food.

  • Insanely tasty and easy to prepare the popular pasta with squid. Here, too, the main secret of a delicious dish is properly cooked shellfish. To prevent the meat from turning out tough, follow all the recommendations described in this recipe.
  • I recommend cooking squid in cream sauce for dinner. I like this product because it is very easy to combine with different ingredients. I prefer to combine the prepared dish with rice or potatoes, and my husband enjoys eating it with pasta.
  • Now the batter is gaining popularity and skilled chefs have shared a successful recipe for making it. This dish will be worthy of a holiday table. This snack is going very quickly for us. Try it, and I am sure that you and everyone who tries this dish will be delighted.
  • And finally, I suggest you pay attention to the recipe for stewed squid. This dish is very quick to prepare and the taste is excellent.