How To Clean Squid
Even if you love to eat squid, you probably dislike the process of cleaning them. While the overall process is fairly simple, there are a few key steps you’ll need to carry out to ensure it’s done right with minimal mess. In this post, you’ll find out what parts need to be removed, why, and how to do it.
Armed with some know-how and a little bit of effort, you can easily clean your squid and enjoy them at home just like you would at your favourite restaurant. So how do you do it? Let’s start with the few simple steps you need to follow in order to get your squid cleaned from sea to table in the easiest possible way!
Firstly, we recommend setting up your squid cleaning area on a chopping board located at a sink for the use of cold running water. To get the remaining piece of squid that you can eat, called the mantle, you will need to start by removing the squid’s head. This is the first part to be removed, and it is done by cutting it off just below the eyes. This will give you easier access to the mantle and starts the process of cleaning the rest of the squid.
Once the squid head is removed, you should now have access to the body and internal organs. All of the organs can usually be taken out in one fluid motion. This is achieved by disconnecting the pen (also known as the quill or spine) from the mantle at the tip of where the head was attached.
Once the disconnection of the pen has been initiated, simply split the rest of the pen from the mantle by inserting your fingers and spreading one another.
After they have been disconnected from eachother, its time to remove the spine along with all of the other internal organs. Always double check for any leftover organs or tissue and remove it if necessary. We find that cold running water is a good way to flush the internals out of the mantle. The aim is to get the mantle as clean as possible!
This is also where you will have to deal with the ink sac. Usually there is at least a small amount of ink leftover in the ink sac, even after you may think the squid dispursed it upon being caught. Generally speaking, the bigger the squid, the more ink it will have. While this usually comes out with the other organs, it can sometimes tear and spill ink. If this happens, simply clean the squid under cold running water and you are good to go!
Last but not least, you have the outer fins and membrane to remove. These can usually be pulled off by hand, but if not simply use a knife to gently slice or scrape to remove it.
(Check out the full how to video of Dan Challinger cleaning squid below!)
(Check out the full how to video of Dan Challinger cleaning squid below!)
There you have it! Now while this process is simple, it doesn’t mean it is necessarily exciting. In order to make it a little easier for you, you can always pick up a squid cleaning tool like a SquidEzy cleaning tool set. These handy little tools help save you some time and headache during the squid cleaning process by allowing you to do the entire process without the aid of a knife. We have a video of the creator cleaning a squid in under 60 seconds which is outstanding. It works by simply inserting the tool inside of the squid, severing the membrane from the internal organs and remove the innards all in one motion removing the need to separate with your fingers. With the mantle still on the tool, you can then peel the outer membrane down and off. To watch the full process using the Squid Ezy tool – see the video below.
In under a minute, a simple tool like this can help you clean a squid like a pro!
How to clean squid with Dan Challinger: