confused on the proper way to cook calamari

[breadisfunny]

i've been researching how to properly cook calamri and i've encountered two schools of thought on this. the first is to cook it on really high heat for one to two minutes so as to get it hot enough that it's properly cooked but not overcooked. the second is to very slowly simmer it for 20-25 minutes on low heat.
are these the proper ways to cook calamari? if so which one is the best or do you have another method to cook it?
i'm cooking it via stovetop btw. not a fan of baking food. takes WAY too long for food.
also is their a definitive way to tell if calamari is cooked properly? can't seem to find any.

[Blueobelisk]

Deep fried seems to be obvious choice.

[Nudi]

High heat and less time in the oil would make the most sense to me to generate a crisp batter. I feel like the opposite would give a rather soggy batter.

[breadisfunny]

High heat and less time in the oil would make the most sense to me to generate a crisp batter. I feel like the opposite would give a rather soggy batter.

that's what i've been doing but the calamari hasn't exactly tasted like it was fully done and up to tempature. last time i ended up having to throw out half of it. is there some sort of external sign like changing colors for fish that indicates it done or near being done? or do i have to use a food thermometer? not sure how i would use it with something as small as calamari though.

[Sensei_Sin]

Cooked squid/calamari will be extremely opaque white when cooked, almost milky in color.

http://cocinaconcuba.files.wordpress...-de-gambas.jpg

[breadisfunny]

Cooked squid/calamari will be extremely opaque white when cooked, almost milky in color.

http://cocinaconcuba.files.wordpress...-de-gambas.jpg

do you have any more images of calamari fully cooked? preferably ones with showing the whole tentacle or ring part.

[Yvaelle]

Sounds like the heat isn't penetrating the calamari well enough - you could fix that two ways - either marinade or even just soak the calamari before cooking, or cook at a lower heat to make sure it fully whites.

[breadisfunny]

Sounds like the heat isn't penetrating the calamari well enough - you could fix that two ways - either marinade or even just soak the calamari before cooking, or cook at a lower heat to make sure it fully whites.

well when i pan fried it last it come out with a sort of pinkish tint with a crispy blackness in certain areas did i do something wrong?
also what should i marinade or soak it with and for how long?
if it helps i'm just going to eat the calamari in melted butter when i'm done and eat it that way. not going to make it into anything fancy.

[Sekhmet]

Both works it has to do with protein denaturation, if you just quick-fry it, it wont have time to get tough, but if you cook it for a long time it will become tender again. Ive only long cooked octopus, and that was really nice.

[Independent voter]

This forum is amazing.

[breadisfunny]

Both works it has to do with protein denaturation, if you just quick-fry it, it wont have time to get tough, but if you cook it for a long time it will become tender again. Ive only long cooked octopus, and that was really nice.

yeah when i manage to cook it just right it tastes spectacular but my last couple tries didn't end well.

[Sensei_Sin]

well when i pan fried it last it come out with a sort of pinkish tint with a crispy blackness in certain areas did i do something wrong?
also what should i marinade or soak it with and for how long?
if it helps i'm just going to eat the calamari in melted butter when i'm done and eat it that way. not going to make it into anything fancy.

I personally like lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic on mine, dump it all in a bowl and let it marinade for a bit. Afterwards you can cook it in the skillet stir fry style with some butter or olive oil or if you rather deep fry them you can go flower, egg and into the oil (375ºF or 190ºC) they go. Do not dump too many at once as that will cool the oil too much and will then take a long time to get back to the right temperature. Wait about 3~4 minutes, flip them around and give it 3~4 minutes again. By this stage they should be golden brown and ready to enjoy with a dash of fresh lemon juice over them.

[breadisfunny]

I personally like lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic on mine, dump it all in a bowl and let it marinade for a bit. Afterwards you can cook it in the skillet stir fry style with some butter or olive oil or if you rather deep fry them you can go flower, egg and into the oil (375ºF or 190ºC) they go. Do not dump too many at once as that will cool the oil too much and will then take a long time to get back to the right temperature. Wait about 3~4 minutes, flip them around and give it 3~4 minutes again. By this stage they should be golden brown and ready to enjoy with a dash of fresh lemon juice over them.

we don't have a deep fryer anymore. what is the proper time for panfrying? is it 1-2 minutes as i've seen in various recipes? is there any specific amount of time it has to soak in the marinade?

[Sensei_Sin]

we don't have a deep fryer anymore. what is the proper time for panfrying? is it 1-2 minutes as i've seen in various recipes? is there any specific amount of time it has to soak in the marinade?

Here you go:

http://enthusiasts.ciachef.edu/pan-fried-calamari/


If you want a "bootleg deep fryer" just use a cast iron skillet with some cooking oil in it, just make sure to not fill it up more than half with the cooking oil since it'll sizzle once you put your stuff into it and expand. Too much oil may cause a grease fire and those are very dangerous indeed.

[breadisfunny]

Here you go:

http://enthusiasts.ciachef.edu/pan-fried-calamari/


If you want a "bootleg deep fryer" just use a cast iron skillet with some cooking oil in it, just make sure to not fill it up more than half with the cooking oil since it'll sizzle once you put your stuff into it and expand. Too much oil may cause a grease fire and those are very dangerous indeed.

last time i tried cooking calamari for 6-8 minutes it ended up rubbery and it took forever to chew. it was not fun to eat. i think that was the same instructions i used too.