Many people like dried squid. Someone uses them as a snack for beer, while others like to simply treat themselves to them after work, for example, while watching a good movie. However, few people think about how to cook dried squid at home. But this is a fairly simple procedure that anyone can handle - you do not need to have special skills or spend a lot of time on cooking.
The benefits of squid
Before talking about the recipe for squid, dried at home, we will figure out what kind of benefit this dish can bring.
To begin with, it is worth noting that squid contains a large amount of iodine - the most important trace element, the lack of which leads to malfunctioning of the thyroid gland.
In addition, squid meat is rich in magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, copper, phosphorus, nickel, zinc, selenium and other valuable substances. And also vitamins C, groups B, E and PP are a part.
Are you dieting? No problem! Squids are rich in protein, but there are very few fats and carbohydrates here - about 100 kilocalories per 100 grams.
Unfortunately, dried squids sold in stores undergo a special treatment, due to which they lose most of the nutrients. And numerous flavor enhancers and flavors can cause serious damage to the health of a lover of salty delicacies. That is why it makes sense to learn how to cook dried squid at home.
We select the ingredients
It's nice that for cooking you will not need complex seasonings. The list of required ingredients is pretty simple. To treat yourself to a really tasty snack, you only need to take:
- Squid fillet - 500 grams.
- Fine salt - 6 tablespoons.
- Sugar - 2 tablespoons.
- Paprika and black pepper to taste.
As you can see, everything is very simple here - today, fillets can be found in many stores selling seafood. And the rest of the ingredients are in every kitchen anyway. When everything you need is at hand, you can safely proceed to cooking.
Prepare squid
In the preparation of squid, dried at home, there are certain subtleties that must be considered in order to achieve an excellent result.
If the squid is frozen, you can put them in warm water - in no case in hot water, if you do not want the meat to turn into hard rubber.
After that, carefully cut them - tear the ligament between the head part and the mantle, removing the head and entrails. You also need to remove the tentacles (if the carcass is sold with them) - for further preparation, only the body is required. Of course, you don’t need to throw them away - it’s better to leave and cook a tasty and healthy salad at your leisure.
After that, make an incision on the mantle and remove the chitin plate - it looks most like an elongated piece of plastic. Cut the body from the head along the funnel to the horn hole. Clean the abdominal cavity using the blunt side of the knife. Rinse the prepared filet thoroughly.
Now cut it along - spreading out the carcass, you can get a single canvas a few millimeters thick.
Prepared fillet must be salted. To do this, put all the seasonings in one bowl and mix well. Pour a teaspoon into the bottom of a glass pan or deep plate and place one squid on top. Salt on top, evenly distributing the spices, and lay out the next - until the squid and seasonings run out.
After that, you need to properly compress them. The easiest way is to put a flat plate of suitable diameter and put on top a three-liter jar of water. In this position, squid should be left for 5-7 hours.
Now you need to get the meat and wash off the remaining salt - you should not soak it in water for a long time, otherwise the fillet will again pick up moisture, which it got rid of during salting and pressing.
We pass to the next stage - drying. There may be two popular options. Let's talk about both.
Dry in the oven
If you want to make dried squid for beer, and you want to do it quickly and without causing unnecessary trouble to others, then it is better to choose this option.
Salted fillet should be cut into narrow strips and lay them on the wire rack. Preheat the oven to 50-60 degrees and put the squid grill there. After about 150-180 minutes, you can turn off the oven and taste the cooked treat.
Some people, deciding to speed up the process, increase the temperature in the oven to 70-80 degrees. This is a serious mistake - heating the squids too much will only worsen their taste, turning them into a kind of rubber, which will be very difficult to chew. So the temperature mode is very important here - the slightest mistake will lead to the fact that the gourmet dish will be spoiled.
We do without an oven
That is why some people prefer to do without an oven. Yes, in this case you have to spend more time drying. But you don’t have to spend electricity, and the risk of spoiling the snack is completely eliminated.
It is enough to take a thick thread or cord and pull it in several rows on the balcony or near the window leaf - in any place where air movement is observed. Now gently hang the squid fillet on this cord. Lay so that the pieces do not touch each other - in this case, the drying process will be delayed and will not be as uniform as we would like.
Now it remains only to wait until the squid is sufficiently dried and dried. This usually takes 24-36 hours - a more specific time depends on a number of factors. First of all, it is humidity in the room, air temperature, intensity of blowing. Finally, it is worth considering that some people like the squid fillet completely dry, while others prefer a little wet.
Therefore, check from time to time whether the product has reached the desired state.
After that, it remains only to remove the fillet, cut it into narrow strips and you can sit near the TV or with your favorite book, indulging yourself with a treat.
Conclusion
On this article comes to an end. Now you know how to cook dried squid at home. So, at any time you can please yourself and loved ones with a tasty and quite healthy snack.