Squid Recipes to try at Home » Sybaritica

The squid recipes included here were all created in my own, sometimes as a result of inspiration from dishes I tried elsewhere, and others being just flights of fancy. In either case, I hope you will enjoy making the dishes yourself, and modifying the recipes as you see fit. A couple of the recipes use dried rather than fresh squid, and, as an introduction to the subject, you may want to look at my introductory post on Using Dried Squid and Octopus.

Finally, before moving on, if you would like to browse some other squid preparations for inspiration, please take a look at my collection of Squid Dishes in Review.

As far as squid recipes go, this is about the easiest you will ever come across (save from eating it raw as sashimi, perhaps). The dish consist of just the tentacles, which you can purchase separately, or else use ones left over from another recipe where just the ‘tubes’, or bodies are used.

In truth, no formal recipe is required here, just a brief description of the method, and even that is simple beyond belief. Just lightly dust your tentacles with cornstarch (optional but recommended), then briefly deep-fry. Very small tentacles like the ones shown above need only thirty seconds or so, while large ones will obviously take just a little longer. Typically, though, no more than a minute or a minute and a half will be required.

Drain on paper towel after frying, then serve piping hot as an appetizer. You can provide a dip of your choice, if you like, or else dust them with, say, chili flakes, or lemon-pepper, but they are best with nothing more than a quick squeeze of lemon juice.

This recipe began as an attempt to reproduce a lovely appetizer I was served at an Indian restaurant in Ottawa, but I was unable to source curry leaves, or fresh coconut. The result ended up being very Thai in spirit. Most ingredients will be easily available to you, but you will need Cock™ Brand Chili Paste with Holy Basil, which is available in many Asian Groceries, or on-line

¾ Cup Squid cut in small rings 1” thick
1 Tbsp. Flour
2 Tbsp. Slivered Almonds
1 tsp. Mustard Seed
4 – 6 small dried Red Chili
½ tsp. Cumin Seed
¼ Cup minced Onion
1 small Tomato finely diced
1 tsp. Sugar
2 Tbsp. Chili Paste with Holy Basil *See Notes

Dust the squid rings with the flour, shaking off the excess, then quickly fry them in hot oil for 45 seconds or so. Drain on paper towel and set aside.
Toast the Almond slivers in a dry pan until they begin to brown, then remove them from the pan.
Add a splash of oil to the pan and add the Mustard Seed, Dried Chili and Cumin. Fry, stirring, until the Chili begins to noticeably darken.
Add the Onion and cook until it is softened and taking on some color.
Add the tomato and the sugar, and cook the tomato down, adding a splash or two of water as necessary, until a chutney like sauce is formed.
Add in the Squid and the Almond, and continue cooking until all is heated through.

In Chinese ‘Salt and Pepper’ dishes, the Pepper is generally, Sichuan Pepper, or Chili Pepper, or both, rather than the more common Black Pepper, but here, all three are used to season strips of fresh Squid, that are then deep-fried to crispy goodness.

1 cup Squid sliced into strips;
1 Egg White;
1/3 cup Cornstarch;
1 tsp. Black Pepper;
½ tsp. ground Sichuan Pepper;
1 tsp. crushed Chili Pepper;
1 tbsp. Rice Wine;
½ tsp. Garlic Salt or plain salt.

Blend the squid with the egg white, garlic salt, Sichuan Pepper, Rice Wine and 1 tbsp. of the cornstarch. Allow this to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.
Blend the remaining cornstarch in a deep bowl with the black pepper and the chili pepper.
When ready to cook, remove the Squid from the egg mixture, shake off excess liquid, and coat the pieces using the seasoned cornstarch.
Heat deep-fry oil to a high heat and deep-fry the squid pieces until golden.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with a dipping sauce of choice.

Pakoras are an Indian snack consisting of various vegetables, and sometimes meats, mixed with a batter (usually seasoned with spices) and then deep fried. I don’t believe I have ever seen a recipe anywhere that actually uses squid in Pakoras before, but Shrimp are often used, so Squid seemed like a pretty good idea as well.

Pakoras are often served with a Mint Chutney, Tamarind Chutney or some sort of Raita. I am not fond of raw yoghurt and so I have used a commercial cucumber salad dressing here, mixed with some of my homemade Chili Garlic Ginger Paste.

¾ cup Squid sliced into fine shreds 2-3 inches long;
¼ cup Besan.
¼ cup Red Bell Pepper finely shredded;
¼ cup Jalapeño Pepper finely shredded;
1 tbsp. Turmeric;
½ tsp. ground Black Pepper;
½ tsp. Cayenne Pepper;
1 tsp. Coriander Seed coarsely ground;
Salt.

Toss the Bell Pepper and Jalapeno shreds with a half-teaspoon of salt, let wilt for 30 minutes, then rinse them and squeeze out excess water.
Blend the flour with the spices and a pinch of salt and then stir in enough water to make a medium thick batter. Let the batter sit for 15 to 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Heat a pot of oil for deep-frying and then blend the squid and pepper shreds into the batter mixture.
For each Pakora, scoop out a dollop of mixture with a Tablespoon, allowing excess batter to drip back into the bowl, and fry it in the oil until golden.
Repeat as necessary, being sure to not to overcrowd the pot with more than a few at a time.
Drain the Pakoras on Kitchen Paper and serve hot with a dipping sauce of choice.

Substitute Green Bell Pepper for the Green Chili if less heat is desired.
You can substitute White flour for the Besan, but the taste will not be the same.

This recipe is my interpretation of a wonderful dish I had at the now defunct Ju Xiang Yuan Restaurant in Ottawa many years ago, and which actually appears as the introductory photograph on this page. The method of cookery I have used is that of Northern Chinese style barbecue technique, which involves grilling a variety of ingredients after giving them a spicy coating of crushed chili and cumin seed.

4 small squid bodies only speckled membrane removed;
3 tbsp. Cooking oil;
1 Garlic clove;
2 tbsp. Cumin seed;
1 ½ tbsp. Chili flakes;
1 tbsp. Sesame seeds;
Pinch Salt.

First, open the squid bodies by slitting down one side and then cut each piece in half.
Toast the cumin seed in a dry pan and then grind it in a mortar with the chili. Mix these ingredients with the salt and sesame seed and then mince the garlic.
Mash the garlic into the cooking oil, pour it over the squid and let marinate for at least an hour.
Thread the squid pieces on to skewers and coat liberally with the spice blend.
Grill the skewers for 7 or 8 minutes on each side until the flesh is cooked through and the edges have a little bit of crispiness. Serve immediately.

Ground Pork would generally be used as a meat filling for Squid, particularly in Chinese versions, and Scallion and Ginger would almost certainly be employed. I wasn’t sure how Beef would work the first time I tried making this dish, but it turned out to be a good paring. Once deep-fried with a very light coating and plated nicely, the result can make for a very elegant appetizer.

6 small Squid Tubes
1/4/ lb. cooked Ground Beef
1 Tbsp. minced Onion
1 tsp. minced Red Chili
½ tsp. Pepper
1 pinch Garlic Salt
1 tsp. Cornstarch
½ Cup Flour plus extra for dusting
1 Egg White

If necessary, clean the squid and remove the legs, tentacles, and tail-wings, reserving these parts for another use.
Mix together all the cooked ground beef, onion, chili, garlic salt, pepper, and cornstarch, stirring in a few drops of water, then stuff the mixture into the squid tubes. to make a slightly sticky paste.
Make the batter by mixing the flour with the egg white and a little water.
Heat deep-fry oil over a medium-high flame then coat each squid with flour, dip it in the batter, and fry to golden brown.
Drain on paper towels and serve hot with a dipping sauce if desired.

Back in the day, I had a Chinese room-mate who was newly arrived from Hong Kong. He wasn’t a terribly accomplished cook, but he had one dish in his repertoire that is a common comfort food in much of southern China. This dish, featuring a Steamed Pork Patty with Dried Squid, produced copious amounts of umami-rich cooking juices during steaming that were terrific spooned over rice. The version here builds upon my room-mate’s simple recipe by including dried mushrooms for an extra flavor punch. For service, as seen in the above picture, I placed sliced squares of the pork and squid onto rice (being sure to spoon over some of the juices) and added a few slices of pickled daikon for a bit of an acidic and spicy bite.

Servings: 4 as part of a Chinese meal.

1/2 lb. ground Pork
1 small piece of reconstituted Dried Squid
1 medium Scallion
1 Chinese Black Mushroom reconstituted and finely chopped
½ tsp. ground White Pepper
1 pinch Salt
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
½ tsp. Chinese Shrimp Sauce optional

Chop the reconstituted dried squid coarsely. You will need approximately one quarter to one third of a cup in all. If desired, reserve a little of the squid flesh and slice it into thin strips to serve as a garnish for the patty.
Finely chop the scallion and reserve some of the green sections for garnish.
Mix together all the ingredients except for the squid strips, if using, and the green part of the scallion. Stir well until sticky.
Press the mixture flat in a dish whose sides are high enough to contain the juices that will be thrown off during steaming.
If using, press the squid strips into the top of the patty in an attractive pattern.
Steam the dish over a high flame for twenty or twenty-five minutes.
Cut the patty into squares for service while still in the dish, scatter over the scallion green and, if desired, sprinkle with a little additional soy sauce.

This Spicy Dried Squid Banchan is my interpretation of a Korean favorite known as Ojingeo-chae-bokkeum. It is a dish, commonly served cold, featuring strips of squid cooked in a thick, sweet sauce containing chili and it is a popular stand-alone snack, as well as a side dish for a rice-based meal. Because it can me made well ahead of service, and keeps for extended periods in the fridge, it is a popular addition to packed lunches in Korea.

The Chili component in most versions of Ojingeo-chae-bokkeum is Gochujang. It is used here, but I am also supplementing it with a slightly more fiery chili paste, in this case Sambal Oelek. You can use either, or both, and in whatever proportions, or amounts you like.

1 medium Dried Squid;
½ – 1 tsp. Gochujang;
1 tsp. fresh Chili Paste Sambal Oelek is fine
2 tsp. Garlic puree;
1 tbsp. Brown Rice Syrup or use corn syrup or honey;
1 tsp. Light Soy Sauce;
1 tbsp. Rice Wine;
½ cup Water;
Sesame Seeds and Sesame Oil;

Reconstitute the squid by soaking and cut the flesh into narrow strips.
Mix together the remaining ingredients except the sesame seeds and sesame oil and set aside.
Heat a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil in a pan over moderate heat and add a splash of Sesame Oil. Throw in the squid strips and sauté just until the aroma rises and they are all heated through.
Add the sauce mix and allow everything to cook over moderate heat until the liquid is almost evaporated and forms a thick glaze over the squid.
Serve hot, cold, or at room temperature sprinkled with Sesame Seeds as a garnish.