Tiếng Việt
ไทยFlash squid (or milky squid) is a favorite seafood dish for many families due to its crispy, sweet meat combined with the rich, creamy flavor of the egg pouch inside. However, many home cooks still wonder what delicious dishes to make with flash squid or how to prepare it without making it tough or fishy.
If you want to spice up your family meals or are looking for a tempting weekend drinking snack, let Ola Squid explore the selection secrets and a list of simple, easy-to-make delicious dishes from flash squid right below!
Tips for choosing and preparing delicious, non-fishy flash squid
To have a flavorful and perfectly balanced plate of flash squid, ingredients and preparation account for 80% of the success. Whether you apply the method of steaming, frying, or grilling flash squid, keep the following points in mind.
How to recognize fresh flash squid
Fresh and delicious flash squid will bring a rich and creamy flavor. When going to the market or buying seafood, you can recognize quality flash squid through the following characteristics:
- Color: Fresh squid has a characteristic reddish-brown outer skin, shiny and without bruising. The small dots on the squid’s body are clear and evenly distributed across the body.
- Elasticity: Gently press your hand on the squid’s body. If the squid meat is firm, highly elastic, and immediately returns to its original shape, it is freshly caught. Avoid choosing ones with mushy, pale bodies.
- Scent: Fresh squid will have a natural ocean scent, slightly salty. If the squid has a strong foul odor, chemical smell, or heavy spoiled smell, you should not buy it.
- Egg ratio: Choose squids that are plump and rounded, with full bellies containing plenty of eggs.
Steps to prepare flash squid
Squid preparation requires more care than regular squid types so as not to break the egg pouch inside. Please follow this exact sequence:
- Step 1 – Preliminary wash: Gently wash the squid under running water to remove dirt and sand clinging to the outside.
- Step 2 – Remove the ink sac and eyes: Gently pull the squid tentacles out of the body. Skilfully pull out the black ink sac and squid eyes to discard them. When doing this, you need to handle it gently to avoid bursting the ink sac, staining the meat and spilling the eggs inside the belly.
- Step 3 – Pull out the backbone: Grasp the squid quill (thin white plastic backbone) and gently pull it out.
- Step 4 – Rewash: Wash the squid belly thoroughly once again and let it drain.
Tips for deodorizing with ginger, white wine, or salt
Seafood meat usually has a natural fishy smell, which will reduce the deliciousness of the dish if not handled carefully. Apply these simple tips to completely eliminate the fishy odor of squid:
- Using white wine and ginger: Crush a piece of fresh ginger and mix it with about 2 tablespoons of white wine. Put the squid in and rub gently for about 1 – 2 minutes, then wash it again with clean water. This method not only removes the fishy smell but also makes the squid meat more fragrant and crunchier.
- Using salt and lemon/vinegar: Lightly massage the squid with a little coarse salt and a few drops of lemon juice. The friction of the salt and the acid in the lemon will clean the slime and drive away the bad smell.
10+ delicious flash squid dishes easy to make at home
If you are wondering what delicious dishes to make with flash squid to change up your daily menu, there are many simple preparation ways ranging from frying, steaming, stir-frying, grilling to braising or cooking hot pot. Each method gives flash squid a unique flavor, from rich, fatty and fragrant to light and delicate, retaining its full natural sweetness. Below are delicious flash squid dishes that are easy to make for your reference.
Flash squid fried with fish sauce, rich and appetizing
Flash squid fried with fish sauce is a familiar choice for family meals because the method is not too complicated yet the flavor is very appealing. After cleaning and draining, the squid is lightly fried until the body becomes firm and fragrant. Then, the squid is tossed with a mixture of fish sauce, sugar, minced garlic, and chili until the sauce thickens and evenly coats the outside.
The finished product has a beautiful brownish-yellow color, with the characteristic aroma of fish sauce and fried garlic. When eating, the outer squid layer is slightly chewy, while the inside remains soft, sweet, and rich thanks to the eggs. This dish tastes best when served hot with white rice, cucumber, or raw vegetables to balance the rich flavor.
Flash squid fried with lolot pepper leaves, novel and delicious
If you are already familiar with regular fried squid dishes, flash squid fried with lolot pepper leaves is a variation worth trying. The squid is fried just until done to retain its sweetness, then combined with julienned lolot leaves and quickly fried over high heat.
When meeting hot oil, the lolot leaves release a characteristic aroma, blending with the sweetness and richness of the flash squid. The lolot leaves are slightly crispy and fragrant, while the squid still retains its softness and juiciness. The dish can be used as a savory dish in meals or as a light snack when family and friends gather.
Flash squid fried in garlic butter, rich and fragrant
Flash squid fried in garlic butter suits those who love a rich, fragrant flavor yet want a simple preparation method. After preparation, the squid is quickly fried or pan-seared until firm. Next, sauté garlic with butter until fragrant, then add the squid and toss well so the sauce coats each piece.
The rich, aromatic flavor of butter combined with golden fried garlic creates an appealing fragrance, highlighting the natural sweetness of the flash squid. You can add a pinch of ground pepper, chili, or cilantro to make the dish more flavorful. When eating, the squid is tender and chewy, and the squid eggs are rich and nutty, best enjoyed while still hot.
See more: Revealing how to make fragrant garlic butter fried squid that everyone loves
Crispy fried flash squid
Crispy fried flash squid never goes out of style. After being cleaned and thoroughly drained, the squid is coated with a thin layer of crispy frying flour, then fried in hot oil until the outer crust turns a beautiful golden color.
The appeal of the dish lies in the contrast between the crispy crust and the soft, sweet squid inside. The rich and nutty eggs help the dish have a richer flavor than regular squid. Crispy fried flash squid is served with chili sauce, ketchup, or mayonnaise depending on personal taste.
Flash squid steamed with beer retaining natural sweetness
If you want to find a way to prepare flash squid that limits the use of cooking oil, steaming with beer is a suitable suggestion. After preparation, the squid is arranged in a pot with lemongrass, ginger, and a sufficient amount of beer. When steaming, the heat and aroma of the beer and spices help eliminate fishy odors while cooking the squid quickly.
Beer-steamed squid is delicious when just cooked through, with a firm yet non-dry or tough body. The eggs inside still retain their nutty richness and natural sweetness. You can eat this dish with lemon pepper salt, green chili salt, or ginger fish sauce to enhance the flavor.
See more: How to make crispy, sweet, non-fishy beer-steamed squid at home
Easy-to-make flash squid steamed with ginger and scallions
Flash squid steamed with ginger and scallions is a light dish, suitable when you want to change your palate after heavy oily fried foods. The squid is cleaned and then steamed with julienned ginger, scallions, and a little seasoning. During the steaming process, ginger helps create a warm aroma while reducing the typical fishy smell of seafood.
The completed dish features ivory-white, plump squid bodies with nutty rich eggs inside. Scallions and ginger add extra fragrance without overpowering the squid’s natural sweetness. This dish is served hot with rice or eaten alone dipped in ginger fish sauce or lemon pepper salt. If you like spicy flavors, you can add a few slices of fresh chili when steaming.
See more: Simple and irresistibly delicious way to prepare scallion-steamed squid
Flash squid stir-fried with celery and garlic, great with rice
Flash squid stir-fried with celery and garlic is a familiar dish with a quick preparation method, suitable for busy days. The squid is prepared and quickly blanched in hot water or stir-fried separately to remove excess water. Then, stir-fry the squid over high heat with celery, onions, leeks, and some spices.
The dish is delicious when the squid is just cooked through, retaining its crispy sweetness without being tough. Celery and onions still maintain a slight crunch, creating a balance with the soft and rich squid. The aroma of garlic makes the dish even more appealing and goes very well with hot rice.
See more: How to make fragrant celery and garlic stir-fried squid without fishy smell
Flash squid stir-fried with pineapple in harmonious sweet and sour flavor
Flash squid stir-fried with pineapple is a harmonious combination of the rich sweetness of squid and the characteristic sweet and sour flavor of pineapple. Some ingredients like tomatoes, onions, or celery are added to make the dish more diverse in color and flavor.
The squid is stir-fried quickly before adding pineapple and vegetables to toss together. Pineapple cooked just right will release a natural sweet and sour taste, helping to balance the richness of the squid eggs. Tomatoes also contribute to creating a light sauce, making the dish palatable and stimulating the appetite.
This dish should be served hot with white rice. When preparing, you should not stir-fry the pineapple for too long because mushy pineapple makes the dish lose its deliciousness and freshness.
See more: How to make sweet and sour, crunchy pineapple stir-fried squid at home
Flash squid grilled with salt and chili, spicy and great for drinking
Flash squid grilled with salt and chili is an appealing dish for family gatherings or meetings with friends. After preparation, the squid is marinated with a mixture of salt, chili, sugar, and some other spices for about 10 – 15 minutes.
Then, the squid is grilled on a charcoal stove, electric stove, or air fryer. When cooked, the squid body becomes firm, the surface is slightly charred at the edges, and it emits a characteristic aroma. The salty and spicy taste of the outer seasoning layer combined with the sweet, rich taste of the squid eggs creates a flavorful dish that makes you want to eat more.
If using an air fryer, you should brush a thin layer of cooking oil on the squid so it doesn’t dry out. It can be served with Vietnamese balm, cucumber, or dipped in green chili salt.
Flash squid grilled with satay, flavorful with lemongrass and chili
Flash squid grilled with satay brings a spicier, more fragrant, and richer flavor thanks to the satay sauce combined with lemongrass, chili, and various spices. The squid is cleaned, drained, and evenly marinated with the satay mixture before grilling.
When cooked, the squid has an eye-catching orange-red color, with slightly charred edges outside creating an appealing aroma, while remaining soft and sweet inside. Satay provides a warm spicy taste, while lemongrass gives the dish its characteristic fragrance.
Depending on personal taste, you can adjust the amount of satay and chili. If your family has young children or people who cannot eat spicy food, you should reduce the amount of satay to make the dish more suitable.
See more: How to make fragrant, restaurant-standard satay grilled squid
Flash squid braised in sweet and sour tamarind sauce, thick and clinging
Flash squid braised in tamarind sauce is an ideal choice if you love dishes with a rich sauce. The squid is lightly pre-fried to make the body firm, then put into the pan with tamarind juice, sugar, fish sauce, garlic, and chili.
When simmering over medium heat, the tamarind sauce gradually thickens, turning into a coating consistency and clinging evenly around the squid body. The mild acidity of tamarind combined with the sweetness of sugar and saltiness of fish sauce creates an attractive balance.
See more: How to make rich, irresistibly delicious fish sauce braised flash squid
Flash squid stuffed with bacon – a novel, luxurious variation
If you want to make a distinct flash squid dish, bacon-stuffed squid is an interesting choice. Bacon is finely chopped, combined with minced meat, onions, mushrooms, or cheese depending on preference, then moderately stuffed into the squid body.
After stuffing, the squid is pan-seared, grilled, or fried until the meat inside is cooked and the outside has a beautiful golden color. The mild saltiness and characteristic aroma of bacon combined with the sweetness of squid create an interesting contrast.
Spicy and sour flash squid hot pot suitable for rainy days
On chilly or rainy days, a hot, spicy, and sour flash squid hot pot is an irresistible choice. The broth is cooked in Thai hot pot style with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, tomatoes, chili, and spices to create a characteristic spicy and sour taste.
The flash squid is cleanly prepared, kept whole or cut into bite-sized pieces, then dipped directly into the hot pot when the broth is boiling. Just cook until the squid is just cooked through so the meat retains its softness, crispness, and natural sweetness.
Besides flash squid, you can prepare more shrimp, clams, mushrooms, water spinach, napa cabbage, tofu, and fresh vermicelli. The spicy and sour taste of the hot pot broth combined with the rich and sweet squid creates a meal that is both delicious and suitable for the whole family to gather around.
See more: How to cook perfectly rounded delicious squid hot pot
Notes when preparing flash squid to avoid toughness and fishiness
Although flash squid is very easy to prepare, if you do not grasp certain temperature and time rules, the squid can easily become tough, dry, or lose its inherent sweetness. Pocket these secrets below from Ola Squid:
Do not overcook to retain softness and sweetness
Squid meat is mainly composed of firm protein fibers. When exposed to high temperatures for too long, these fibers will contract, making the squid tough, dry, and losing all its natural sweet juices. You should cook squid over high heat and time it precisely until just done.
Season moderately, avoid overpowering the natural sweetness of squid
Flash squid has a mild salty taste of the sea and a natural sweet, fatty taste from the eggs. Therefore, you should only marinate a moderate amount of spices (such as a little seasoning powder, pepper, garlic) and marinate for about 10 – 15 minutes before cooking. Over-seasoning will ruin the characteristic flavor of the ingredients.
Appropriate preparation time for each cooking method
To keep the squid crunchy on the outside and soft and rich on the inside, you should adhere to the standard preparation time for each method:
- Steaming: 5 – 10 minutes starting from when the water in the pot boils vigorously. Do not steam for more than 10 minutes or the squid will leak water and shrink.
- Stir-frying: 30 seconds to 2 minutes over high heat. You should blanch the squid or pre-fry it, then stir-fry the vegetables before tossing in the squid for a quick mix and turning off the heat.
- Frying: 3 – 5 minutes for each batch fried in a pan of deeply heated hot oil so the outer crust is golden and crispy while the inside is not dry.
- Grilling: 8 – 15 minutes depending on whether you use a charcoal stove, air fryer, or oven. You should add a thin layer of cooking oil to the squid body so the squid does not dry out and burn.
Hopefully with these shares above from Ola Squid, you have the answer to the question of what delicious dishes to make with flash squid and feel confident stepping into the kitchen to showcase appealing dishes for your family. If you love the rich flavor of sea squid and want to discover more delicious dishes from dried squid to change up your meals, Ola Squid currently provides a variety of quality dried squid lines at olasquid.com. Visit Ola Squid to refer to more cooking suggestions from squid, besides the 13 flash squid dishes just introduced above!
