How to prepare squid

Squid is a tasty, versatile seafood that you can use year-round fresh or frozen. It’s super quick to cook, makes a brilliant starter for dinner parties and preparing squid is a lot easier than you might think. Follow this video demonstration by chef Tony Tobin for some key pointers.

Points to remember:

1. First pull the head of the squid away from the body using your hands.
    
2. Then trim the head by cutting through the knuckle in the neck and then pull the knuckle out so that you are left with the tentacles.
    
3. Next pull the quill (plastic looking spine) out from the body and discard.
    
4. Now remove the ‘wings’ from either side of the body, by slipping your fingers underneath them and then gently pulling them away along with the membrane.
    
5. Use a knife to remove the skin from the ‘wings’, so that you can cook them.
    
6. Pull out any excess fat or innards from inside the squid, discard and give the squid a rinse under a cold tap.
    
7. If you want to make squid rings, just cut across the width of the body thinly to create the rings (ideal for calamari), dip into seasoned flour and place in a hot fryer for no longer than 40 seconds to ensure it doesn’t go rubbery.
    
8. If you want to grill the squid, use a knife to slice along one length of the squid to open it up. Then carefully score criss crosses with your knife, making sure you don’t cut all the way through. Again cook the squid very quickly.
    

Tip: There are two ways to cook squid, either very quickly or very slowly for a long time. Anything in between and you will be left with a rubbery texture.