Calamari on the skillet: when is it done?

Question

I never really had any other calamari than fried calamari, so I thought I'd try a calamari pasta dish. Anyway, when it came to cooking the calamari, I followed the instructions that said no more than 3-4 minutes on a high or medium heat. I didn't want to overcook them, but neither did I want to undercook them... how do I know when it's just right? I suppose my end result was somewhat chewy/rubbery, and from what I understand it shouldn't be? It's just hard to tell if it was under or overcooked. How can I tell when calamari is done?

Well, I only cooked it for 3-4 minutes, as many directions suggested I do, so I don't think I killed it or anything. I think if anything it was slightly overcooked, because it wasn't like rubber, only a little bit. But the thing is, I heard that calamari goes from rubbery to tender back to rubbery as you cook it, so ideally you want to get it at that tender stage. That's exactly what I'm asking about. So just whenever it starts to turn into puffy rings?

Answer 1

As soon as the color canges from translucent to opaque. It takes only 2-3 minutes. Anymore cooking then that and you've got calamari with the texture of rubberbands. Many chefs also like to marinate the calamari rings in milk for a short while as this helps tenderize the rings. Calamari if cooked lightly will have a slight chew, but will definitely not be rubbery. The same rule applies to shrimp.

Answer 2

2 minutes on high heat is plenty. The reason your's turned out rubbery is you cooked the **** out of it.

Answer 3

juz look carefully, when its raw, its soft n flabby, when it starts to take the shape of a ring.. off the fire n it'll be done..

Answer 4

NOW