How to Clean Squid: Removing Calamari Tentacles for Cooking

Squid are cephalopods that live in open water. They have long, soft bodies with large eyes and tentacles. In addition to possessing camouflage, a squid can eject a burst of ink from its ink sack (or ink sac) to ward off predators. Another name for squid is “calamari,” which translates to “squid” in Italian. Grilling and frying are popular methods for cooking squid, which chefs often serve with a sauce for dipping.

Cleaning a squid refers to separating the edible parts from the inedible parts in addition to washing the creature. Grocery stores and markets usually offer to clean and cut squid, making it a rare skill for home cooks to need to apply. However, it can be useful knowledge if you frequent markets where whole, uncleaned squid are plentiful and more budget-friendly. Here are the steps for cleaning a squid:

1. 1. Start with whole squid. Cleaned and prepared squid is often expensive at grocery stores. Buy whole squid, either fresh or frozen. Let frozen squid thaw completely before cleaning it.
2. 2. Remove the head and innards. Don a pair of gloves or start with clean hands. To remove the squid head and innards, hold the tail in one hand and the head in the other. Pull the two apart with a slight twisting motion. Use a paper towel to help hold the squid if your hands slip. The innards will come out right along with the head.
3. 3. Remove the ink sack. If you have no use for the squid ink, discard the innards along with the head. If you wish to remove the ink sack before discarding the innards, look for a small black vein. Before you handle the ink sack, it can be a good idea to put on gloves and an apron and to cover porous surfaces since squid ink stains. Remove the squid ink vein with a small sharp knife. Puncture the sack and let it drain into a small bowl with a small amount of water. Some ink also lies behind the eyes of the squid, so harvest that as well if you wish. Now you can discard the innards.
4. 4. Cut off the tentacles. On a cutting board with a sharp knife, remove the tentacles. Place the knife just underneath the eyes of the squid and cut all the way through to detach the tentacles from the head.
5. 5. Remove the beak. The squid’s beak, a piece of inedible cartilage, is at the base of the tentacles, where the tentacles meet the head. To remove it, squeeze the area around the beak, and it should pop right out. Discard the beak and keep the tentacles for fried squid, pepper squid, soups, or other squid recipes.
6. 6. Remove the cartilage from the tail tube. The squid’s tail tube contains another piece of cartilage, the cuttlebone, which is inedible. Reach two fingers inside the body, or the tail, and grip the cuttlebone. It should come out easily and in one piece. Discard it.
7. 7. Remove the skin. The last step is to remove the squid’s skin membrane. The skin is edible, so removing it is more for aesthetic purposes. The skin should easily peel away from the flesh, but for assistance, you can cut a shallow slice into the skin to get started.
8. 8. Wash and prepare the squid. Once all that’s left are the tentacles and the tail tube, wash both thoroughly. Use these immediately in any variety of seafood dishes—just make sure not to overcook the squid or else it will become tough and chewy.

Cuisines around the world use squid in recipes, and listed below are just a few dishes featuring the squid body and squid ink.

1. 1. Adobong pusit: This is a traditional Filipino dish using fresh squid and squid ink mixed with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, salt, sugar, oil, onions, and tomatoes. This squid recipe is in the famous adobo category of recipes in the Philippines.
2. 2. Chipirones: A Spanish dish from the Basque region of Spain, chipirones consists of poached and seared whole baby squid in a sauce or purée of vegetables, garlic, white wine, cuttlefish ink, and fresh herbs.
3. 3. Crispy fried calamari: A common appetizer at restaurants, calamari uses squid rings from the body of the squid as well as the creature’s tentacles. Bread or batter the calamari and deep-fry the ingredients in a fryer or a high-sided pan with oil. Serve the calamari with cocktail sauce or a flavored aioli.
4. 4. Ojingeo chae bokkeum: This is a popular Korean snack using dried squid in a spicy sauce of gochujang, garlic, soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame seeds. It serves as a bar snack or light appetizer but also as an accompaniment to Korean BBQ and other Korean dishes.
5. 5. Risotto: A popular Italian rice dish, risotto can benefit from the addition of squid rings from the squid body. You can also add squink ink while the risotto cooks to give it a distinct black color and a flavor that suggests the ocean.
6. 6. Stuffed squid: You can stuff a whole squid with vegetables, other seafood, breadcrumbs, or a combination of all three. Cook the fresh squid in the oven for baked stuffed squid or in a pan on the stovetop in olive oil for pan-fried stuffed squid.

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