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A squid (known as Calamari in Italian) belongs to the general family
of cephlapod and looks like a mini octopus because of its tentacles. Just
like the octopus it discharges a dark fluid into the face of its
predator when threatened with potential danger. The average length of an
edible squid generally varies from 5cm to 100cm although
some colossal squids could be as big as 20m.
The squid, which forms a part of most Mediterranean cuisines, has a
firm, white and sweet tasting meat. The main body of the Calamari is
used for most dishes because it can be cut into pieces, sliced or
stuffed whole even though the tentacles are edible too. The reason
behind the high popularity of squid is that excepting its hard beak and
gladius (pen), its entire body can be prepared in almost any process
possible, including raw sushi spreads.
The other reason for the high preference for squid is its ready
availability in fresh, canned, frozen, dried and pickled versions. You
will find most seafood restaurants displaying
calamari recipes in their menus. Beyond Australia, fried Calamari is also a
well-liked seafood dish in North America, Europe and Asia. In fact, fried squid rings are
often served as appetiser and look mouth-watering because of Parmesan
cheese, parsley and lemon garnishing.
In Mexico, Calamari is served with peppercorn mayonnaise, tzatziki or
habanero. In Asian countries such as China and Korea, fried calamari is
diced and battered and served with a topping of marinara sauce, spicy
chili and salt. The squid could also be cooked in mediums such as
ketchup, aioli, and olive oil.
Fried calamari is a simple to make dish as the squid simply needs to be
dipped in a batter and fried for approx two minutes to get a tender and
tasty snack that you could eat plain or sprinkled with salt and lemon.
Some other highly in demand variations of calamari fry are fried baby
squid called Puntillitas, Rabas de Calamar, breaded Calamari and Living
Squid.
The fried baby squid recipes are prepared both in Spain and China. The
Rabas de Calamar consists of deep fried squid tentacles. Breaded
calamari looks rather like a sandwich where the squid is grilled and
stuffed between bread slices along with rice and vegetables. The squid
is a rich source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids although it also has
considerably high cholesterol content.
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Fisherman Guest Book |
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Re : cleaning. withdraw the head (and most of the internal organs) by pulling away from the tube. Larger specimens may require sticking your thumb into the tube to remove the head section by loosening the connective tissue. If keeping the tentacles for dinner versus bait, cut the tentacle array off just forward of the eyes. Remove the beak and associated musculature from the middle of the array. Skin the tentacles only if patient and fussy LOL.
Now the tube....stick thumb between the skin and the flesh near the head end of the tube and peel away towards the tip, using your thumb to work under the skin as you peel. Be careful to get your thumb under the clear membrane underlying the pigmented layer of skin. If done properly the fins can be removed as part of this process, rather than ripping them off separately. It is easier this way, as the fins are not that securely attached, with the clear membrane lies between. This prevents having to try and 'grip and rip' the obviously slimy fins and skin.
Feel the upper side of the head end of the tube for the end of the quill or stylus (a remnant backbone analogous to cuttle bone). It will feel moderately stiff and can be withdrawn by twisting the edge of the tube upwards and away from the quill to expose the tip of its shaft. Pinch the tip between your fingers and slide the quill out directly towards the head end of the tube.
Now... poke your thumb into the tip of the tube from the outside and begin turning the tube inside out. Once you have poked the tip in a little the tube can be rolled quite easily onto your thumb and then the rest of the tube can be finished by continuing this rolling with the thumbs and fingertips of both hands. Kinda like turning a sock inside out. Once inside-out the tube can be easily cleaned of remaining organs and connective tissue/membranes. It is important to remove as much of this stringy, clear connective tissue as is possible, otherwise it'll be like flossing while you eat.
Hold the tube flat and cut across in parallel to creat squid rings or slit the tube lengthways and fold out then score with a knife in a diagonal, cross-hatched pattern, cut into smaller 1" X 3-4" strips for restaurant style squid 'rolls' or stuff it intact. Hope this helps.