Calamari (squid) - Best way to get it tender, not rubbery?

Question

What is the best preparation or cooking method to make Calamari soft and tender, not rubbery.

Answer 1

depends on how you are preparing it.

breaded & fried? don't over fry it, it should be light coloured, and if it's fresh it only takes 2-3 minutes to cook.

naked? in a pan with a bit of olive oil, again, 2-3 minutes.

is it thick or thin pieces? that determines how long to cook it, as well. the thinner it is, the less it needs to cook...

and, please note that calamari does NOT have to be tough or rubbery to be really good, though it is usually a bit chewy, because of the consistency of the meat. chewy is not the same as rubbery. i live in Sicily and the things they do with calamari are amazing!

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Calamari (squid) - Best way to get it tender, not rubbery?
What is the best preparation or cooking method to make Calamari soft and tender, not rubbery.

Answer 3

Make sure it's FRESH and DON'T OVERCOOK... Overcooking is the main reason for rubbery squid and other seafood/shellfish like scallops and octopus. It takes very little time to cook it, think of it as an extremely thin steak, 3 minutes will probably be too long, depending on the temperature. If deep frying, it's done as fast as the breading gets golden at all, pretty much. Last tip: DON'T LET IT SIT. Don't cook it ahead of time, don't make it until it's going to be eaten, the heat will continue to cook it, (part of the reason it takes so little time) and by the time it's eaten, it's stale and overcooked and is only good for tire patching. Good luck, I think if you remember those three things, fresh, short cooking time, no waiting time, you'll be happier with it, I know I was when I finally figured it out, lol. Feliz Calamaris!!! -Rick

Answer 4

Either very fast at a very high heat, or you stew it for a long time.
It gets rubbery if you do something in-between.
I favour flash-frying, but you need a heavy pan that doesn't cool when you add the Calamari (cast iron is best).
The long stewwing approach makes it rubbery initially, but then softens it up over time.
If you want to practice, try the flash-frying, and stew your failures.

Answer 5

You've probably heard about the crazy cooking times for squid. It could take two hours or it can take a few minutes, right? Too confusing. These guidelines you've no doubt heard mainly refer to squid in a stew or a soup. It doesn't necessarily refer to breaded fried squid. I've had masterful results pan frying squid at about 375 degrees until they are golden brown. Focus more on brownness instead of time. Good luck and save me some!

Answer 6

The trick to tender calamari is an extremely short cooking time -- usually less than 1 minute, or at the other extreme, a long cooking time (for dishes where the calamari is stuffed and stewed). If it's cooked for anything in between, it gets tough.

Answer 7

How To Make Squid Tender

Answer 8

if you want to get tender soft calamari you need to marinade well
clean squid tubes and sliced them like rings
place in a big bowl lemon juice and just small spoon of bicarbonate of soda
then mixed them nicely rubb it nicely
add beer some chili flakes
also you can add either garlic bay leaves soya teriyaki
depends on the flavour you want it
but main ingredients bicarbonate of soda lemon juice and beer
if you dont want to use beer you can also use milk
after done everything leave the squid rings in the sauce
minimum 4-5 hours or even more
you will get nice tender calamari
dont over cook also
if you put too much bicarbonate of soda you will get bitter taste so be careful about that
if you get that taste you can just wash out your squid and fried afterwards
even you want to grill or pan fried rather then deep fried this marination will work it too

Answer 9

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Answer 10

Flash fry it,,,, as another poster put up,, over cooked is a rubber band,, if you are breading and frying, a light golden brown is good,, wait 'till the first one starts to float up into the oil from the bottom,, then about 25 seconds more,,always under cook it,, if you need to you can cook it longer, but you can never un-cook it.