How to properly cook frozen squid at home

Squids are a valuable product in cooking. Tender meat contains a lot of easily digestible protein. Its taste is reminiscent of crab. Like all seafood, squid is rich in iodine, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium.

The polyunsaturated fatty acids it contains are an essential substance for maintaining normal weight. Squid is prepared in different ways: boiled, baked and even fried in batter. In the store you can find smoked, dried and canned squid. But frozen sea inhabitants are considered the most useful.

More information about how to choose a product with this type of processing, as well as all the methods for preparing it, can be read below.

How to choose the right frozen squid in the store and at the market

It should be noted that in Russia, squid fishing is developed only in the Far East. They can also be brought to us from the coastal countries of the Atlantic Ocean. As a rule, ships are involved in catching. The squid is processed and frozen on board.

Afterwards, you cannot defrost the squid and expose it again to low temperatures, as in the worst case it can cause harm to the body, and in the best case, it simply does not satisfy the buyer’s taste.

It is very easy to recognize whether a squid has been re-frozen. To do this you need to look at the appearance. A quality product should have white meat, but not yellow. It is acceptable that the skin may be brown or burgundy.

If seafood was frozen once, then one carcass cannot be stuck to another. An important criterion for selection is the availability of packaging and all the information on it. You should not buy frozen squid if the information on the package contradicts each other.

So, we can conclude that when choosing a properly frozen seafood product, you need to pay attention to the following facts:

Meat color;
Type of frozen carcass;
The presence of bodies stuck together;
Information on the packaging.

When high-quality frozen squids end up in the kitchen, the question arises - how to properly defrost and clean them.

Squid is a dietary food product

The dietary value of squid meat cannot be compared with either fish or meat. Easily digestible proteins, polyunsaturated fats, amino acids, B vitamins, iodine, potassium, phosphorus - this is not a complete list of useful substances.

Rules for processing squid before cooking

You can most often purchase squid fillet frozen. When purchasing, pay attention that the carcasses are not stuck together, but are easily separated from one another.
When you bring the frozen squid home, place it in a deep bowl and pour boiling water over it for a minute. The peel will curl up, and all you have to do is remove its remains under running cold water.
Next, use your fingers to carefully remove the entrails and chord.
If you purchased a whole squid, the body and tentacles are useful for food. The head must be cut off. Don't forget to cut out the jaws that are located at the base of the tentacles.

The secret of boiling squid

The most important secret when boiling squid: it needs to be boiled either for less than 30 seconds or for more than 30 minutes .
Place the squid carcass on a slotted spoon and lower it into salted water boiling with spices. Quickly count to ten and immediately take it out. Do this with each carcass separately. You will get juicy tender squid meat. If for some reason you overcooked the squid, then cook it for 30 minutes; after this period of time it will become soft again.

How to defrost and clean squid

There are many ways to defrost, but the following two methods are considered the most useful:

If the housewife intends to prepare a squid dish in the morning or afternoon, then she should take care of this in the evening. You need to put frozen carcasses on the refrigerator shelf with the highest temperature. In the morning the squid will be ready for further processing;
If you don’t have much time, then you just need to defrost the product at room temperature. You can fill the carcasses with water, but not hot. Thus, the seafood will retain maximum vitamins. After 2-3 hours you can start cooking the squid.

Do not use hot water for defrosting. There is a risk that the squid will turn yellow and have an unpleasant taste.

After defrosting, you need to clean all the insides of the clam’s body. This is the thin and transparent backbone of the seafood - the chord and other plates. Remove the skin from the outside of the carcass and wash it with water. There is still a thin film on white meat, which also needs to be removed. To do this, you need to pour boiling water over the seafood. After this, place it in cold water and begin removing the transparent skin.

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If the carcass does not need to be stuffed or cut into rings, then for ease of processing you can cut it lengthwise.

Squid in lemon batter

Try cooking squid in lemon batter, it turns out delicious and aromatic.

2 squid carcasses;
2 eggs;
150 ml milk;
1 lemon;
4-5 tablespoons of flour;
salt, turmeric, dry aromatic herbs, black pepper to taste.

We clean and rinse the squids. Place the carcasses in salted boiling water for two minutes, then remove and immerse in cold water to cool quickly. Cut the cooled squid into rings about 1 cm wide or small pieces and dry.

Separately, beat the eggs, add salt and pepper, and add a pinch of turmeric. Then squeeze the lemon juice and mix. Add milk, dried herbs and flour. Mix thoroughly. There should be no flour lumps in the dough. Place the batter in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan; there should be enough oil so that the rings are practically immersed in it.

Dip the squid pieces into the batter. Make sure that the entire surface of the piece is covered with dough. Fry the squid in batter until golden brown. Then place the fried pieces on paper towels to remove excess fat.

How and how much to cook squid to preserve their beneficial properties

Cook these sea creatures in boiling water with or without spices for a short time - up to a maximum of 3 minutes.

In fact, not every experienced chef can cook squid. It is necessary to observe the exact cooking time - 1-3 minutes in boiling water. And this time depends on many factors: the variety, size and age of the marine inhabitant.

Therefore, many chefs recommend not cooking squid in the traditional way in a pan of boiling water, but using this method:

place the carcasses in a metal bowl and pour boiling water to the top. Cover with a lid and after a minute, drain the water and refill with boiling water. Hold them again for 1 minute and then start preparing salads.

This method guarantees that the cooked squid meat will be tender.

Let's figure out what delicious things can be prepared at home from frozen shellfish.

Recipes

The taste characteristics of frozen squid differ little from the fresh product. Keeping the product fresh is complicated due to the length of delivery from the manufacturer to the consumer. Therefore, you can only buy them in coastal regions. At the same time, shock freezing allows you to preserve all the beneficial properties.

Canning squid significantly changes the original taste, although it retains its nutritional value. Canned squid is most often used to prepare salads; it does not require much time to prepare.

Salad with squid and seaweed

Ingredients:

500 g frozen squid;
100 g seaweed;
2 eggs;
100 g canned green peas;
100 g hard cheese;
1 apple;
200 g mayonnaise.

Preparation:

Without defrosting, place the squids in hot water, bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute.
Place in a colander and rinse with cold water. Remove film and chord plate. Cut into thin strips.
Boil eggs, cut into slices. Peeled apple and grate cheese on a coarse grater. Cut the seaweed into strips up to 5 cm long.
Layer squid, eggs, cabbage, peas, and cheese into portioned salad bowls. Decorate the top of the composition with a lattice of mayonnaise and a sprig of arugula.

Comments:

The calm pastel colors of the ingredients and neutral flavors go well with squid.
Arugula fits perfectly into the composition of this recipe due to its light, subtle taste that does not interrupt the overall flavor of the dish.
Apple adds tenderness, juiciness, and smoothes out the aroma of seafood.

Squid with rice

Ingredients:

500 g frozen squid;
200 g broccoli;
200 g boiled beans;
100 g onions;
200 g boiled rice;
2 tablespoons soy sauce;
100 g vegetable oil;
100 g butter;
1 teaspoon dried oregano.

Preparation:

Without defrosting, place the squids in boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Cut the broccoli into florets, boil for 30 seconds, and cool.
Fry the onion in a hot frying pan, add squid, broccoli, beans, pour in soy sauce, and let it boil.
Melt butter in a saucepan, add washed rice and oregano, add salt and fry. After the water has evaporated, pour boiling water over the rice, cover with a lid, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Place the mixture of squid and vegetables in a saucepan and carefully mix with the rice.
Serve warm on a common platter as a side dish for fish or as a separate dish.

Comments:

All ingredients do not require long cooking. It is recommended to cook squid and broccoli for about 1 minute; beans and rice should be prepared in advance.
It is recommended to use long-grain rice for cooking, which has a lower percentage of gluten compared to short-grain cereals.
The quality of the dish depends on the ability to cook the rice. The main principles: pre-frying in oil and maintaining the proportion of water and cereal.

Squid with noodles

Ingredients:

300 g squid;
200 g tomatoes;
100 g pickled ginger;
2 cloves of garlic;
100 ml dry white wine;
1 teaspoon honey;
300 g rice noodles;
1 bunch of basil;
100 g olive oil.

Preparation:

Boil the squid (2-3 minutes, putting them in boiling water while frozen), peel and cut into strips.
Cut the tomatoes crosswise, pour boiling water over them, and let it brew. After 15 minutes, remove the skin.
In a hot frying pan with oil, sauté chopped garlic, add chopped tomatoes. After the liquid has boiled, add the squid. Fry for 1 minute, add wine, honey, chopped basil, simmer for 1 minute.
Boil the noodles in salted water, drain in a colander.
Place noodles in a heap on a flat dish and spread the fried mixture around. Serve as a separate dish.

Comments:

This recipe will taste better if you let the tomatoes cook. The liquid obtained after adding wine is enough to give the dish tenderness.
Do not overuse acid in seafood dishes. Wine will add sourness to the dish, and honey will add a pleasant sweetness.
An alternative to rice noodles can be regular pasta - noodles, spaghetti made from wheat or buckwheat flour.

Salad with rice and Chinese cabbage

Ingredients:

500 g squid;
2 eggs;
200 g canned corn;
100 g of Chinese cabbage;
100 g boiled rice;
1 tablespoon lemon juice;
1 tablespoon soy sauce;
1 tablespoon olive oil;
0.5 teaspoon allspice;
0.5 teaspoon of saffron.

Preparation:

Boil the squid (2-3 minutes).
Cook rice with saffron. Rinse, drain in a colander, and cool.
Chop squid, boiled eggs, corn, cabbage.
Prepare the dressing: mix lemon juice, soy sauce, oil, allspice.
Gently mix the rice with the ingredients and add the dressing.
Place in a common salad bowl, decorated with leafy greens.

Comments:

Olive oil can be replaced with any refined vegetable oil.
The ingredients in the dish should be in harmony with each other in shape and size. It is recommended to cut squid, eggs, cabbage into cubes.
Saffron will give the rice its original color and aroma. Curry has the same property, which can replace saffron.

Squid salad recipe with signature sauce

A very tasty and original salad is made from squid and fresh cucumbers. But the highlight of this salad is the special sauce. To prepare it you will need:

Ketchup;
Mayonnaise;
Salt;
Sesame oil;
Garlic;
Onion.

For about 3-4 tablespoons of mayonnaise you need to take one spoon of ketchup. The result is a pink mass. Three garlic on a grater just enough so that in the end the amount is equal to a teaspoon.

We do the same thing with onions, but there should be twice as much of it as garlic. The main ingredient in this sauce is sesame oil. It needs to be poured into the mixture gradually, preferably in two or three additions. After each addition, do a tasting.

First add a teaspoon of this oil, and then add more if there is a shortage. You don’t have to add salt if, for example, mayonnaise or ketchup was already salty enough.

For the salad itself, cut the squid into strips. Cut out the center with seeds from peeled cucumbers. You can do this with a spoon drawn along half of the vegetable.

Next, you need to cut it crosswise into thin slices. The end result should be small C-shaped pieces. You can also add a couple of pickled cucumbers to the salad.

At the end, mix the sauce with the salad ingredients and place the dish among the bowls.

Stuffed squid carcasses: satisfying and healthy

You can make more than just salads from squid. Here is a recipe for stuffed and baked seafood in foil.

You will need:

Squid carcasses cleaned according to all rules, cooked rice for filling;
Onions and carrots fried in a frying pan in oil;
Grated hard cheese;
Cream in such an amount that the filling does not turn out too liquid;
Salt.

Cooking steps:

Mix all ingredients for the filling and place the mixture into the squid carcass;

Wrap the resulting semi-finished product in foil;

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, sprinkle the squid with grated cheese;

Bake for exactly 10 minutes.

A simple recipe for making squid rings

For this dish you will need a small number of products:

The squid itself, boiled and cut into rings;
Sour cream of any fat content;
Vegetable oil;
Spices: pepper and salt;
Onion, cut into rings.

The thickness of the rings should be about 5 mm. Slice the onion as thinly as possible. Heat the frying pan. Fry the squid and onion rings in sunflower oil for 2 minutes under the lid.

After, add a mixture of sour cream, salt and black pepper. Cook in the pan for another five minutes. The top of the chilled dish can be sprinkled with finely chopped dill.

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Squid chops: an unusual and simple recipe

This dish can be served with rice and mushrooms, boiled potatoes and plain pasta. Cooks in 10-15 minutes, not counting the shellfish cleaning.

For the chops you will need:

Squid fillet cut into flat pieces – 400 g;
Eggs – 2 pcs;
Garlic;
Butter for frying;
Breading;
Salt.

Squeeze 2 cloves of garlic through a press and add it to two eggs. Beat the mixture with a mixer. Pieces of squid need to be beaten with a hammer, but without applying much effort. Dip the fillet into the eggs and garlic for 2 minutes.

Heat a frying pan with butter. Roll the battered seafood into breading and fry for 2 minutes on one side and 1 minute on the other side. This dish is served hot.

Below we will learn how to cook frozen squid rings in batter.

Squid in batter, recipe with starch

For preparation you need the following ingredients:

4 or 5 preferably small (easier to cut, more beautiful finished dish) carcasses of boiled squid;
3 (2+1) tablespoons of corn starch (potato starch is not suitable);
2 tablespoons of premium flour (we take only wheat);
seasonings and salt to your taste.
3 spoons of cold water;
2 eggs;
refined oil, approximately 250-300 ml.

How to make such squid in batter, recipe step by step:

Boil the seafood, let it cool, and cut it into beautiful, even rings.

Sprinkle the finished rings with starch (use 2 level spoons), carefully roll the seafood in it, and then add salt, season with your favorite spices and mix again so that the salt and seasonings are well distributed over all the rings.

Add ice water and pepper to a bowl with the seafood, mix the ingredients and let it brew for about five minutes.

Drain the liquid that has formed there from the bowl and place the rings on a paper towel to dry.

Beat the egg well in a separate bowl, put the squid back in the bowl and then pour the egg mixture over them.

Mix the flour with the remaining starch, pour the products into the bowl with the rings and the egg, and mix.

Place the breaded seafood into a frying pan, in which the oil should be brought to a boil in advance.

Place the finished squid rings immediately on paper towels so that they leave all the excess fat on it, and then place them beautifully on a dish or in portions on plates.

Attention! If you see that the batter is very thick, add a teaspoon of heated vegetable oil, that is, from a frying pan, to the dish and mix again. This will make the dish even crispier and more beautiful when fried.

On a note!

To prepare recipes in batter, you can buy ready-made frozen squid rings in the store. All you have to do is defrost them according to the instructions on the package, and you can cook them breaded.
If you want to get crispier rings, fry the food again after the fat has drained on a paper towel, that is, alternately fry 2 times in boiling oil.

It is best to serve squid in batter immediately after cooking; after some time, the breading ages and the seafood becomes soft.

Appetizing rings fried in batter

Squid rings in batter are an excellent appetizer. It takes a minimum of time to prepare, and even the busiest housewives will be able to include this dish in their menu. The simplest cooking method is the following: dip the rings in eggs, roll in flour or breadcrumbs, and fry until golden brown.

But there is a more interesting recipe for preparing this dish.

Cooking steps:

The cut squid carcass into rings is mixed with spices and salt. For five minutes, the meat is soaked in salt and black pepper;
The dried loaf is grated into fine crumbs (needed for breading);
The eggs are beaten with the addition of ground ginger and vinegar. All one teaspoon per two eggs;
When foam appears, add 4 teaspoons to the flour mixture;
Heat a frying pan with oil until bubbly;
First dip the rings in the batter, then roll in the crushed loaf;
Fry on both sides for 2-3 minutes, no more.

The finished rings can be placed in a colander to allow the oil to drain and blot in a paper towel. Place the rings on a large flat dish and serve with sour cream or herbs.

Squid in batter in a slow cooker

This household appliance allows you to make your dish even more rich, tasty and aromatic.

Ingredients:

Squid rings (you can use fresh carcasses, which will have to be pre-boiled, dried and cut) – 1 package (0.5 kg).
Flour for breading (tempura) – 150-180 gr.
Ice water – 100-150 ml. (adjust according to the consistency of the batter yourself).
One egg.
Sunflower oil.
Any spices you like and salt to taste.

How to make squid in batter, recipe in a slow cooker:

On a note! For recipes you will need breading flour, if you can’t find where to buy it, prepare it at home yourself by mixing rice flour, wheat flour, classic baking powder plus corn starch in equal proportions. Add some spices or finely chopped herbs to the mixture.

Defrost the rings according to the instructions. If you take carcasses, then after boiling them we cut them beautifully, as in the photo.

For the batter, mix tempura (breading flour), an egg, by the way, you don’t have to add it, but for some reason many cooks add cold water and spices with salt. There should be no lumps in this mixture; therefore, it is best to stir the products with a whisk, having previously rubbed the existing lumps with a regular fork.

Pour oil into the multicooker bowl (in an amount so that the container is filled to about 2 fingers from the bottom), set the “multi-cook” mode for 30-40 minutes and the cooking temperature is 180 degrees. I note that you can cook this dish in a multicooker without a deep-frying basket, and also without having a “french fries” or “deep frying” mode. The main thing for us is that the household appliance brings the oil to a boil and fry the squid rings in it.

While the oil is boiling, breaded each seafood ring. Open the lid of the multicooker, throw in your rings and, setting the “frying” mode, cook until the food becomes a beautiful golden color.

On a note! If you take a lot of seafood delicacies, then as the oil boils in the multicooker, it will need to be added again and again.

Immediately place the rings from the oil on towels or any paper so that they drain and get rid of excess fat.

The battered squid rings are ready and delicious served with chili sauce or cheese sauce. You can either buy these additions to your snack ready-made in the store or make them at home yourself. You can decorate the dish with any herbs or lemon slices, for example.

Now you know how to cook squid in batter at home, the step-by-step recipes with photos described here will certainly help you create a real culinary masterpiece with which you can always surprise and delight your beloved relatives, friends or simply unexpected guests.

Bon appetit!

Recipe for crispy rings in batter with cheese

This dish will appeal to lovers of refined tastes. The combination of cheese and squid is exquisitely combined in this recipe. It is recommended to use suluguni for cooking. But other types of soft milk products will also work. You need to take 250 grams of cheese per 400-500 grams of squid rings.

Suluguni is cut into cubes and breaded in flour. Squid rings are rolled in flour with the addition of paprika. For half a glass of flour, take a tablespoon of pepper.

Beat 4 eggs with two tablespoons of milk. Then both the cheese and the rings need to be dipped in the egg mixture. Roll all the pieces again in corn or wheat flour and fry.

The finished dish can be eaten with black olives.

With breadcrumbs

The simplest recipe is to cook squid in a simple breading of white crackers or toasted white bread.

Compound:

flour - 6 tablespoons;
eggs - 2 pieces;
breadcrumbs - 10–12 tablespoons;
frozen squid - 1 kg;
salt - 1 tsp;
ground black pepper - 1-2 teaspoons.

Calorie content: 200 kcal.

Preparation:

Thaw the cleaned squids and rinse them under running water. Dry on a paper towel. Cut into rings no more than 10 mm thick. Roll the rings in flour.
Secret: For a more even distribution of flour throughout the product, put the flour in a paper bag and throw the chopped squid into it. Shake the bag of rings. The flour will be evenly distributed over them.
Dip the rings in beaten egg and coat in breadcrumbs.
Note: instead of breadcrumbs, you can use regular white bread, dried in the oven. Cut it into small cubes and place in the oven for a few minutes.
Fry the squid rings over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until browned.
Serve with a sprig of parsley and tomatoes.

Useful tips and notes from chefs and cooks

The squid fin meat is slightly tougher than the rest of the carcass.
The smaller the carcass, the more tender and tastier the meat. Sometimes there is even a sweetish aftertaste.
If the cooking time for the shellfish exceeds 3 minutes, the squid is considered overcooked and tough. But further cooking it – up to 30 minutes – will help correct the situation. Afterwards the meat will become soft again, but there will be practically no vitamins left in it.
The meat of these seafood requires a lot of salt, but it is important to know the limit and not to oversalt, otherwise you may not feel the taste of the seafood.
Frying the squid should also happen quickly - no more than two minutes, preferably 1 minute, and then leave the fillets or rings under the lid for 5 minutes.

A simple and delicious squid salad from the chef, watch the video master class:

Bon appetit!