To clean squid for fried calamari, pull the head and tentacles away from the body, draw out the clear quill called the pen, rinse the tube, and peel off the speckled skin if you like. Cut the tentacles just below the eyes, squeeze out the hard beak, and slice the tube crosswise into rings about a third of an inch thick. Dry everything well and fry it hot and fast, for under two minutes.
Buying whole squid means you get the tentacles, which fry up crisp and curled, and you control how the rings are cut. The cleaning is messy the first time and routine by the third squid.
What you need
- About 1½ pounds of whole squid for four people as an appetizer, or 1 pound of cleaned tubes and tentacles. Bodies of 4 to 6 inches are easy to handle and cook evenly.
- A sharp chef’s knife or a long paring knife.
- A board for the raw squid, a bowl of cold water and a second bowl for the parts you discard.
- Paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Drying the squid matters as much as cutting it.
If your squid is frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, the gradual method the FDA recommends for frozen seafood, and use fresh or thawed squid within 2 days, kept at 40°F or below.
Cleaning a whole squid, step by step
Work in the sink or over a sheet pan lined with paper towels. Squid is slippery, and the innards are messy.
- Rinse the squid under cold running water.
- Separate the head. Hold the body, which cooks call the tube or mantle, in one hand and the head just below the eyes in the other. Pull gently and steadily. The head, tentacles and most of the innards slide out together.
- Remove the pen. Feel inside the tube for a thin, clear quill that looks like a strip of plastic. Pull it out whole.
- Empty the tube. Squeeze out anything left inside by running your fingers or the back of a knife from the closed end to the open end. Rinse the inside under the tap.
- Peel the skin. The tube is covered in a thin, speckled purple membrane. Pinch it at the open end and pull; it comes away in sheets, and the two fins often come with it. Peeling is optional and gives whiter rings.
- Free the tentacles. Lay the head on the board and cut straight across just below the eyes, so the tentacles stay joined in one piece. Discard the head and innards.
- Remove the beak. At the center of the tentacles is a small, hard, round beak. Squeeze from underneath and it pops out. Discard it.
The body, arms, tentacles and ink of squid are all edible; the beak and the pen are the parts that are not eaten. Everything you keep goes into the bowl of cold water, then onto paper towels.
Slicing even rings
Even rings are the point of the knife work. They fry at the same speed, so none are chewy while others are still raw.
Lay a tube flat on the board with the closed end away from you. Slice straight down, crosswise, into rings about a third of an inch thick. Use one smooth stroke for each ring, drawing the knife toward you rather than pressing.
A sharp edge cuts clean circles; a dull one squashes the tube flat and leaves ragged ends. If yours is slipping, how to sharpen a knife at home takes ten minutes.
Leave small tentacle clusters whole. Cut large clusters in half lengthwise so each piece has a few arms.
The tip of each tube is too narrow to make a good ring. Slice it into a short strip and fry it with the rest.
Squid gives off liquid as it is cut. A WONAMU. bamboo cutting board is 12 by 9 inches, with a perimeter juice groove that keeps that liquid on the board instead of the counter.
Keeping the board safe
Raw squid is raw seafood, and the board rules are the same as for fish. The FDA advises one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry and seafood. If you have one board, cut the lemons and parsley first, then the squid.
When the squid is done, wash the board, the knife and the counter with soap and hot water. For added protection, sanitize the board with 1 tablespoon of unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water, let it stand for several minutes, then rinse and dry it. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water. The longer version, including wood and bamboo, is in can you use a wooden cutting board for raw fish.
Frying the calamari
Squid should be fried for less than two minutes to keep it from turning tough. Everything about the setup serves that short time.
- Dry the rings. Spread them on paper towels and pat the tops. Water on the surface makes the oil spit and turns the coating pasty.
- Heat the oil. Bring 2 to 3 inches of neutral oil to 375°F in a heavy pot. Use a thermometer; the temperature drops when each batch goes in.
- Coat the squid. Mix 1 cup all-purpose flour with ½ cup cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Toss a handful of rings and tentacles in the mix and shake off the excess in a sieve.
- Fry in small batches. Lower the squid into the oil and fry for 60 to 90 seconds, until the coating is pale gold and the flesh is opaque white. Crowding the pot cools the oil and gives soft, greasy calamari.
- Drain and season. Lift the squid onto a wire rack, salt it at once, and let the oil come back to 375°F before the next batch.
Serve with lemon wedges and a bowl of warm marinara. How to cut a lemon for juice gives wedges that do not squirt the person beside you.
Make ahead and leftovers
You can clean and slice the squid in the morning, store it covered in the refrigerator, and fry it in the evening. Dry it again right before coating.
Fried calamari is at its best within minutes of leaving the oil. Leftovers go into the refrigerator within 2 hours and should be reheated to 165°F; a hot oven brings back more crispness than a microwave.
The short version
Pull the head away from the tube, take out the clear pen, rinse and peel the tube. Cut the tentacles below the eyes and squeeze out the beak.
Slice the tubes into rings a third of an inch thick on a separate board from your lemons, dry everything well, and fry in small batches at 375°F for under two minutes. Wash and sanitize the board when you finish.
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WONAMU. makes a bamboo cutting board designed for daily prep, 12 × 9 inches, bamboo, with a perimeter juice groove. Available on Amazon.
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