Squid

About

Squids are 10 armed cephalopods that live in the sea. It is a relative of the octopus and the cuttlefish, and is a popular food in many parts of the world.

Squid meat is a little sweet and chewy if cooked properly. If overcooked, it will be a little rubbery.

Information

Other names: Calamari

Translations: Kalmārs, Kalmaras, Calmar, Lignja, Mực, Kałamarnica, Inktvis, विद्रूप, Lula, Кальмар, Καλαμάρι, حبار, 오징어, Cumi-cumi, Pusit, 乌贼, Calamar, Lignji, Calamaro, קלמארי, Tioarmad bläckfisk, Лигња, イカ, Calmar, Tintenfisch, Blæksprutte, Akkar, Calamar, Кальмар, Kalmari, Калмар

Physical Description

The main body mass is enclosed in the mantle, which has a swimming fin along each side. These fins, unlike in other marine organisms, are not the main source of locomotion in most species.

The skin is covered in chromatophores, which enable the squid to change color to suit its surroundings, making it effectively invisible. The underside is also almost always lighter than the topside, to provide camouflage from both prey and predator.

Colors: light yellow

Tasting Notes

Flavors: not fishy, more like mussle or oyster

Mouthfeel: Squishy, Chewey

Food complements: Pasta, Breads, Tomato sauces, Lemon

Wine complements: Red

Beverage complements: Beer, Soda

Substitutes: No subistitute for good squid

Selecting and Buying

Seasonality: january, february, august, september, opctober, november, december

Peak: september, opctober, november, december

Choosing: Squid should be chosen based on the cleanly appearance and their eyes. If a squid is sickly or contaminated its eyes will probably also have a sickly look to them. Clean and Clear is good.

Buying: Squid is most often bought frozen, but if you can find them fresh at the food market go for it!!!

Procuring: Squid are usually found in warmer waters.

Preparation and Use

Squid should be thoroughly cleaned, and often squid is cut into edible pieces due to its chewy nature.

Cleaning: Detach the head from the "hat". Pull carefully, as most of the innards that are attached to the head will come out when you pull.

Under running water, pull the skin off the little hat and run water inside it to get out anything else that might still be stuck in there.

While you are cleaning, you might feel a stiff, plastic-like cartilage quill. The end will be sticking out at the open edge of the hat where there is a little point. Just tug on it gently and pull it out. Set the little hat aside, it is clean!

Next, separate the tentacles from the eyes - keep the tentacles and throw the rest away. Grab the tentacles and feel in the middle for the little beak. You can just pop it by squeezing the sides gently, or by pushing it from behind. Be careful not to get squirted with the black ink.

Then, just slice the little hat into strips. If you have never cleaned calamari before, I recommend you watch this video online (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r06P7L782JQ) before cleaning- do not worry, it will not take you 5 minutes per animal! It takes me about 10 minutes to clean 1 1/2 pounds of calamari!

Conserving and Storing

Squid keeps very well when frozen.

Social/Political

Giant squids have developed a pop culture statues. Giant squids have achieved a comparable statues to Jaws.

History: Squid have differentiated from their ancestral molluscs such that the body plan has been condensed antero-posteriorly and extended dorso-ventrally. What before may have been the foot of the ancestor is modified into a complex set of tentacles and highly developed sense organs, including advanced eyes similar to those of vertebrates.

The ancestral shell has been lost, with only an internal gladius, or pen, remaining. The pen is a feather-shaped internal structure that supports the squid's mantle and serves as a site for muscle attachment. It is made of a chitin-like substance