North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

Anyone have any tricks to making squid tender, I have tried scoring it, marrinating in milk for 6hrs and lightly frying.
It tast great but is still a bit chewy.

try cooking on a hotter pan for less time. Seems to work for me.

BT

Real hot deep fry. Quick as

Squid and octopus are funny things. Cook them for short periods on high heat and they are tender. But if you over cook them, they go like rubber. But you can cook them for a long time and they go tender again. weird

Try marinating with some kiwi fruit slices for about 10 minutes, be careful not to leave it too long or the squid will fall apart

Make sure you take all the skin off
soak in a mixture of bicarb soda and water at a ratio of one teaspoon of bicarb to 1 litre of water
You can add other things like garlic and whatever takes your fancy like some nice hot chilli sauce and onion salt
leave in the fridge overnight then rinse with cold water and dry before you cook it

Regards Shaun

Clean squid, place squid between two bricks, cook in a pot until bricks are tender.

Cheers

I'll second the fast hot fry. Will try the other methods suggested tho, there are good squid down here.

I like those small pickled octopus, great for grossing out the girls, take my front tooth out and chew with tentacles hanging out ...

Yeah Matt, you get the proper Calamari squid not the Arrow squid we get here . After the big Calamari greenbacks, I find it hard to eat the arrows.

My Chef work mate tells me to Soak calamari or squid in Milk

Step 1
Clean your calamari and cut it into individual tentacles and rings about 1/2 inch in size, if they did not already come pre-cut.
Step 2
Place the calamari pieces in a bowl and cover them with whole milk. The lactic acid in the milk helps to tenderize the muscle fibers of the calamari, just as it does with other types of meat.
Step 3
Put the bowl of milk and calamari in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap. Let the calamari soak overnight, or for at least 2 to 3 hours.

Hot and Fast Cooking
Step 1
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil or place a saute pan on the stove over high heat.
If you are deep frying calamari, heat a pan with about 3 inches of vegetable oil to about 325 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (165-175C) and toss the calamari with seasoned flour.
Step 2
Add the calamari to the hot saute pan and let them cook for 60 to 90 seconds. If you let them cook any longer, you could wind up with rubbery calamari.
The flour-dredged calamari should cook for a minute or so longer because the flour coating protects the calamari from cooking too quickly.
Step 3
Remove the calamari from the heat immediately to prevent it from overcooking, whether you have boiled, sauteed or deep-fried your calamari. To further ensure tenderness, you can transfer your calamari to a shallow bowl and sit the bowl in a larger bowl of ice for a minute or so to help stop the cooking process.
Step 4
Season your calamari to your liking with salt, pepper and any other seasoning you prefer. Serve them with lemon wedges.


Low and Slow Cooking
Step 1
Cover the bottom of a large saucepan with olive oil and bring to a medium heat on your stove.
Step 2
Add any flavoring ingredients of your choosing to add to the braise. This can include diced onions, crushed tomatoes and chopped garlic. Cook until soft and fragrant.
Step 3
Add the calamari and let it cook for about 30 seconds on high heat. Season the calamari to your liking during this time.
Step 4
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add your braising liquid. White wine, tomato sauce and chicken broth are all options. Scrape the pan with a spatula to mix in the sauteed ingredients. Let the braising liquid simmer uncovered for roughty 10 minutes. The liquid should reduce slightly.
Step 5
Reduce the heat to low and cover the saucepan with a lid. Let the calamari cook in the liquid for another 30 to 40 minutes, or until the squid is very tender. Serve hot.

Kiwi fruit is the best. It has a enzyme which breaks down the structure of the squid.