How to Clean Squid Quickly and Easily for Authentic Delicious Dishes

Buying fresh squid but not knowing where to start, ending up with a fishy smell or sticky hands afterwards – this is a familiar situation for many kitchen beginners. Actually, just understanding the order of steps and a few minor tips to effectively remove the fishy odor makes it easy to handle. In the article below, Ola Squid will provide detailed instructions from how to prepare the squid to how to store it afterwards, helping even beginners to confidently execute it on the very first try.

Step-by-step guide to cleaning squid properly

If squid is prepared carelessly with internal organs or the ink sac left behind, no matter how heavily it is marinated, it is hard to mask the fishy smell. Conversely, just by cleaning the squid in the correct order of the steps below, the squid will be clean, bright white, and retain its natural crispness when cooked.

The fresh squid preparation process consists of 5 basic steps, performed sequentially from the outside in:

• Step 1 – Initial rinse with water: rinse the squid under cold tap water to remove dirt and sea sand clinging to the body before moving on to the next steps.
• Step 2 – Pulling out the head and tentacles: hold the squid body with one hand and gently pull the head away from the body with the other. Proceed slowly, separating the ink sac carefully to avoid bursting it – a burst ink sac will stain the entire squid body with black liquid, making it very difficult to wash clean.
• Step 3 – Pulling out the quill and cleaning internal organs: insert your hand inside the body, pull out the transparent plastic quill, and then take out all the remaining internal organs inside.
• Step 4 – Peeling the squid skin if a beautiful white dish is desired: make a light slit along the body with a knife, hold one end firmly, and pull off the peeling skin layer. This step is not mandatory for small squid but highly recommended for large bigfin reef squid and cuttlefish.
• Step 5 – Processing the head: remove the eyes and squid beak (the hard white part located between the tentacles), then wash it one last time under the tap until the water runs clear with no sediment.

After completing the five steps, let the squid drain before cooking or storing. For those who are not yet skillful, it might take 5-10 minutes for one squid on the first try, but with practice, it will become significantly faster.

See more: How to choose fresh, thick-fleshed squid without chemical soaking

How to thaw squid when cooking frozen squid

For frozen squid, there are 2 thawing methods suitable for each situation, depending on everyone’s preparation time.

• Method 1: Natural thawing in the refrigerator compartment for 6-8 hours or leaving it overnight is the best way to maintain meat quality because the temperature drops gradually, limiting cellular structure disruption.
• Method 2: Soak the squid in a bowl of cold water, changing the water continuously every 20-30 minutes until the squid is completely soft; avoid using hot water as it causes the squid meat to shrink instantly.

One important note to remember: do not thaw at room temperature for too long, because room temperature is a favorable environment for bacteria to multiply, directly affecting freshness and food safety.

After thawing is complete, proceed with squid preparation similarly to the fresh squid cleaning steps mentioned above.

Effective ways to remove the fishy smell of squid

Even if the squid has been thoroughly cleaned, the characteristic fishy smell of seafood is still hard to avoid completely without a deodorizing step. You can eliminate the fishy odor using readily available kitchen ingredients as follows:

• Soak the squid in a mixture of salt, crushed ginger and white wine for about 5-10 minutes, then rinse again with clean water. This method both removes the fishy smell and helps the squid meat look whiter and prettier.
• Use green tea water to soak the squid for 10 minutes, thanks to the tannin active ingredient in tea which has a very effective natural deodorizing ability.
• Combine sesame oil and white wine when briefly marinating the squid before cooking, helping the squid lose its fishy smell and become more chewy and crispy when cooked.

Tip to remove the fishy smell of squid: briefly blanch the squid in boiling water for about 10-15 seconds before main cooking, then take it out immediately. This method eliminates most of the remaining fishy odor without fully cooking the squid, still preserving its crispness when continuing to cook.

Important notes when preparing squid

A few mistakes during preparation can render the previous cleaning method meaningless. Here are 3 important notes to keep in mind:

• Completely remove the ink sac and slimy membrane inside the body to prevent the cooked dish from retaining a fishy smell even after thorough seasoning.
• Only soak the squid in wine or the deodorizing mixture for the recommended time, avoiding soaking too long which makes the meat lose its natural crispness.
• Wash the squid with cold water or room temperature water, do not use hot water to prevent the squid meat from becoming hard and tough right from the preparation stage.

Remove the ink sac and internal organs inside to keep the squid clean and odor-free during cooking

See more: How long to boil squid so it is crispy and plump?

How to store squid after preparation

After preparation, storing squid properly helps the squid retain its freshness until cooking time. Choosing the storage method depends mainly on when you plan to use the squid.

• Store in the refrigerator compartment if cooking within the day. Put the squid in a tight container or zip bag, keep it in the refrigerator compartment and use within 24 hours to ensure freshness.
• Store frozen if not using immediately. Wrap tightly to prevent dehydration, use a vacuum-sealed bag or squeeze all air out of a zip bag before putting it in the freezer compartment.

Pre-prepared and properly stored squid can maintain good quality for several weeks in the freezer, convenient for families wanting to prepare ingredients in advance for multiple meals.

Thus, the way to prepare fresh squid consists of 5 basic steps: initial rinse, pulling out the head, pulling out the quill and cleaning internal organs, peeling the skin if needed, and processing the head. Combining additional deodorizing tips with ginger, wine, or green tea along with proper storage methods, the prepared squid will maintain its fresh crispness and remain free of fishy odors when cooked. If you want to save preparation time while still enjoying the rich flavor of squid, you can check out the dried squid products at Ola Squid.