Dried squid
Flattened dried squid
Seasoned Shredded Squid
Dried squid snack
Tiếng Việt
ไทยWhat delicious dishes can be made with squid roe to take advantage of its characteristic rich, buttery flavor and enrich your family menu? With this ingredient, you can transform it into many appealing dishes such as crispy fried with fish sauce, stir-fried with garlic butter, steamed, dipped in hotpot, or made into fish cakes. Each preparation method brings its own unique flavor, ranging from fragrant and rich to naturally sweet. In the article below, Ola Squid will suggest 4 delicious dishes made from squid roe along with detailed instructions.
What is squid roe? Is it edible?
Squid roe is the egg portion of female squid, usually taking the form of small sacs or clusters located inside the body cavity. When prepared properly, the roe has a soft, tender texture, a mild buttery taste, and a distinct seafood flavor. Thanks to these characteristics, squid roe can be used for steaming, frying, stir-frying, cooking in hotpot, or combined with minced meat to make fish cakes.
Squid roe is completely edible when the ingredient is fresh, properly cleaned, and thoroughly cooked. When cleaning whole squid, you need to distinguish the roe portion from the intestines and ink sac to remove unused parts while keeping the egg sacs intact if you want to cook them in whole pieces.
To achieve the best flavor, you should choose squid roe with a natural color, a surface free of unusual stickiness, and no unpleasant spoiled odor. For frozen products, prioritize those with intact packaging, properly stored, and showing no signs of prolonged thawing. Due to its rather soft texture, squid roe also needs to be washed gently to avoid breaking during preparation.
4 delicious and savory dishes made from squid roe
From familiar ingredients, you can turn squid roe into many dishes suitable for your family’s preferences.
Steamed squid roe
Steamed squid roe is a simple, easy-to-make dish that helps retain the full buttery richness and natural soft chewiness of the squid roe. Below are the ingredients and instructions for making steamed squid roe at home that you can refer to.
Prepared ingredients
| Ingredients | Quantity |
| Fresh squid roe | 300-400g |
| Salt, pepper, and lime mixture | For dipping |
Detailed instructions
Step 1 – Preparation: Gently wash the squid roe with clean water and let it drain.
Step 2 – Steaming the squid roe: Boil water, place the squid roe in a steamer for about 10-15 minutes depending on the size, until the roe is completely cooked.
Step 3 – Finished product: Transfer the squid roe to a plate and enjoy while hot with salt, pepper, and lime.
Similar delicious dish: How to steam frozen roe squid to be crispy, sweet, and not fishy
Crispy fried squid roe in fish sauce
Crispy fried squid roe in fish sauce captivates diners with its golden crispy outer crust, soft and savory filling, and harmonious salty-sweet taste. The highlight of the dish lies in the aromatic garlic and chili fish sauce glaze, which evenly coats the exterior while maintaining the appealing texture of the squid roe. You should enjoy it right after cooking to fully experience the crispiness and rich flavor.
Prepared ingredients
| Ingredients | Quantity |
| Fresh squid roe | 300-400g |
| Crispy frying flour | 3 tablespoons |
| Minced garlic | 1 tablespoon |
| Minced chili | 1/2-1 teaspoon |
| Fish sauce | 1 tablespoon |
| Sugar | 1 tablespoon |
| Filtered water | 1 tablespoon |
| Cooking oil | Enough for frying |
| Scallions | 2 stalks |
Detailed instructions
Step 1 – Preparing the squid roe: Gently wash the squid roe with clean water, you can use diluted saltwater to clean the surface then rinse again and let it drain. For large egg sacs, you can cut them into bite-sized pieces, avoiding cutting them too small which makes the roe easily break during frying.
Step 2 – Coating with flour: Put the squid roe into a bowl along with 3 tablespoons of crispy frying flour, gently toss so the flour evenly coats a thin layer on the outside. Shake off excess flour before frying so the outer layer is not too thick.
Step 3 – Frying the squid roe: Heat enough oil for frying in a pan over medium heat, and add the squid roe one by one. Fry until the flour coating turns golden and crispy, and the roe inside is completely cooked, then remove to a plate lined with paper towels.
Step 4 – Making the fish sauce glaze: Mix 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of filtered water in a bowl. Heat a little cooking oil in a pan, add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, then add 1/2-1 teaspoon of minced chili depending on your taste. Next, pour the fish sauce mixture into the pan, simmer over low heat and stir constantly until the sugar dissolves and the sauce thickens slightly.
Step 5 – Completing the dish: Add the fried squid roe into the sauce pan, toss or stir gently for about 30 seconds to 1 minute so the seasonings coat the outside evenly. Add 2 finely chopped scallion stalks, stir well and turn off the heat. Arrange the squid roe on a plate and enjoy immediately while hot to experience the crispy, fragrant crust and the rich salty-sweet flavor.
You might also be interested in: How to make easy and delicious fish sauce-fried roe squid
Steamed squid roe cake
Steamed squid roe cake has a soft and chewy texture, with a natural buttery flavor blending together with shallots, scallions, and delicious spices.
Prepared ingredients
| Ingredients | Quantity |
| Fresh squid roe | 500g |
| Chicken eggs | 2 eggs |
| Shallots | 3 bulbs |
| Scallions | 3 stalks |
| Big chili pepper | 1 fruit |
| Sugar | 1 tablespoon |
| Salt | 1 teaspoon |
| MSG | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Ground pepper | 1 teaspoon |
| Cooking oil | 1 teaspoon for greasing the mold |
| Vietnamese balm (rau răm) | A little to serve with |
| Fresh lime | 1/2 fruit for the dipping sauce |
Detailed instructions
Step 1: Preparing the ingredients
Gently wash the squid roe with clean water, drain and avoid squeezing hard to prevent the roe from breaking. Peel shallots, wash and mince finely. Trim roots off scallions, wash, chop the greens finely and keep the white bulb parts separate. Wash the big chili pepper, remove seeds if you want to reduce spiciness, and mince finely.
Step 2: Blending and mixing the squid roe paste
Put 3 shallots and the white parts of scallions into a food processor and blend until smooth. Next, add 250g of squid roe, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of MSG, and blend for about 30-60 seconds. Scoop the mixture into a bowl, then add the remaining 250g of squid roe and 2 chicken eggs into the processor, blending until combined.
Pour the newly blended portion into the initial bowl, add chopped scallions, minced chili, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper. Use a spoon to mix and knead vigorously for about 3-5 minutes until the mixture becomes smooth and sticky. If you cannot eat spicy food, you can omit the big chili.
Step 3: Steaming the squid roe cake
Place the seasoned squid roe mixture into a bowl, smooth the surface, and sprinkle a little more chopped scallions and chili on top to enhance the flavor. Put the bowl into the steamer, cover, and steam for about 20-25 minutes until the cake is evenly cooked. Once cooked, gently remove the bowl from the steamer, let it cool slightly, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Note:
- You should apply a thin layer of cooking oil inside the bowl before putting the squid roe mixture in so the cake won’t stick and can be removed more easily.
- If making a large batch of cake, you should divide it into 2 portions and steam them separately so the cake cooks through quickly without remaining raw in the center.
Step 4: Completion and enjoyment
Remove the cake from the steamer, let it cool slightly, then cut into bite-sized pieces. To make the dipping sauce, mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper, and 1 tablespoon of lime juice. Enjoy the warm steamed squid roe cake accompanied by Vietnamese balm and salt, pepper, and lime dipping sauce to elevate the flavor.
Similar delicious dish: How to steam frozen roe squid to be crispy, sweet, and not fishy
Fried squid roe cake
Fried squid roe cake features a golden, crispy outer crust and a soft, chewy, rich, and fragrant interior made from squid roe blended with chicken eggs and spices.
Prepared ingredients
| Ingredients | Quantity |
| Fresh squid roe | 500g |
| Crispy frying flour | 70 g |
| Chicken eggs | 2 eggs |
| Scallions | 3 stalks |
| Fresh ginger | 20g |
| Big chili pepper | 1 fruit |
| Sugar | 1 tablespoon |
| Seasoning powder | 1 tablespoon |
| MSG | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Fish sauce | 5 tablespoons |
| Lime juice | 2 tablespoons |
| Boiling water | 50 ml |
| Bird’s eye chili | 2 – 3 fruits |
| Cooking oil | 200ml |
Detailed instructions
Step 1: Preparing the ingredients
Gently wash the squid roe with clean water, drain and avoid breaking the roe. Peel shallots and wash them; trim roots off scallions, wash and chop finely. Peel ginger, wash and mince finely. Remove stems from the big chili pepper, wash, mince finely or cut into strips for decoration.
Step 2: Mixing the squid roe cake mixture
Add chopped scallions into the bowl of squid roe and mix well. Next, crack 2 chicken eggs into the bowl, add 1 tablespoon of seasoning powder and 70g of crispy frying flour. While adding the flour, stir evenly so that the ingredients blend together without forming lumps.
Tip: To give the squid roe cake a smoother, more pliable texture, you can put the squid roe into a meat grinder and puree it before mixing with the remaining ingredients!
Step 3: Frying the squid roe cake
Place a pan on the stove, add about 200ml of cooking oil and heat it up. Scoop spoonfuls of the squid roe mixture into the pan, deep-frying for about 2 minutes per side. Then, flip evenly on all sides until the cakes are golden brown with a beautifully crisp crust. When the cakes are done, remove them to a plate lined with paper towels to reduce excess oil.
Step 4: Making the dipping sauce
Put the minced ginger and big chili pepper into a bowl, add 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of MSG, 5 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, and 50ml of boiling water. Stir well to dissolve and combine the seasonings, then add chopped bird’s eye chili according to your spice preference.
Step 5: Finished product
The fried squid roe cake features an appealing golden-brown color, a lightly crispy outer crust, and a soft, chewy, rich, and fragrant interior. When eating, dip it in the sweet and sour ginger chili fish sauce to balance the flavors, making the dish even more rich and appealing.
Recommended dish to try: How to make beautifully golden, chewy, and delicious fried squid cake
Tips for cleaning squid roe properly and effectively removing fishy odors
Squid roe has a soft texture and easily breaks, so it needs to be prepared carefully to maintain its natural shape and flavor. Below are some tips to help clean squid roe and reduce the fishy odor before cooking:
- Handle gently: When washing squid roe, use your hands to gently remove external impurities, avoiding squeezing or scrubbing hard which causes the roe to break apart.
- Remove fishy odors properly: You can wash the squid roe with diluted saltwater, then rinse it again with clean water. If the roe still has a fishy smell, use a few slices of crushed ginger or a little white wine to help deodorize, but do not soak it for too long as it can affect the natural flavor of the squid roe.
- Drain before cooking: After cleaning, place the squid roe in a basket to drain or gently pat it dry with paper towels. This step helps seasonings adhere better and prevents excess water from affecting the dish’s texture.
Explore many delicious cooking recipes: What to cook with roe squid? 10+ easy-to-make dish suggestions
Frequently asked questions when preparing squid roe (FAQ)
Here are frequently asked questions to help you use squid roe correctly and keep your dishes delicious.
Can people with seafood allergies or gout eat squid roe?
People with seafood allergies should avoid eating squid roe to limit allergy risks. People with gout need to control their consumption because squid contains purine, and they should consult a doctor regarding a suitable diet.
How to keep squid roe from breaking apart when cooking?
You should wash squid roe gently, avoid squeezing hard, and limit stirring too much while cooking. For boiling or steaming dishes, adjust the temperature and time appropriately so the roe cooks evenly while keeping its shape intact.
How long can squid roe be stored?
Fresh squid roe stored in the refrigerator compartment at 0-4°C should be used within 1-2 days, or can be kept in the freezer at -18°C for about 2-3 months. Cooked squid roe can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You should store it in an airtight container and thaw it in the refrigerator compartment before cooking.
Hopefully with the 6 recipes above, you now know what delicious dishes to make with squid roe to enrich your family menu. To change up flavors for your meals, you can explore more dried whole squid and seasoned shredded squid products at Ola Squid with many choices suitable for personal enjoyment and gifting purposes.
