Suggestions for super tender calamari

[SamC]

Recently (i.e. this year) calimari has been wonderfully tender when eating out as compared to all past experiences. I've noticed this in ceviche; in fried form; in ragus. So here in America something has occurred in the preparation of these dishes and has swept across the NorthEast at least.

Could folks be pre-prepping w/ sous vide? Just allowing more time (days?) in ceviche?

Looking for suggestions and ideas for home usage. (Note: Built a diy sous vide w/ pid controller so that is available)

All ideas, science, suggestions welcome.

[ScottyBoy]

I have eaten raw squid off the boat down durring the season in Monterey Bay, CA. It was very sweet, slight bit of chew but that's pretty obvious. They have to be younger squid because of the chance of parasites. I've found though that longer cooking times and leaving in acid for ceviche for too long takes it mealy and chalky... I prefer the traditional way of very hot and fast cooking to ceviche or raw.

I'm sure others will start to chime in with their experiences, good luck!

Edited September 25, 2011 by ScottyBoy (log)

[heidih]

I have always followed the "rule" to cook squid either very very quickly at high heat, or long and slowly.

For cold preps I toss the rings and tentacles in boiling salted water. Within a minute I start removing the rings, leaving the tentacles just a few seconds longer. Super tender every time.

I used to do a stuffed squid dish on a regular basis. That I cooked at a slow simmer in a tomato based sauce or a low oven (covered) for maybe 45 minutes. Sliced like butter into perfect little sausage filled tender rings.

Of course there is also the tenderized calamari steak which I played around with here. That you can cut with the side of your fork.

[ScottyBoy]

Oh and just to clarify when I say "longer cooking times" I mean anything over an hour.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

The trick to tender calamari in ceviche is to pound the ever loving snot out of it before it goes into the acid bath. I mean get out your nice wooden tenderizing hammer and take out all of your frustrations on the squid using the flat side for at least 10 minutes. Then it comes out of the cure as pure, buttery goodness.

[SamC]

At one establishment in Albany, NY I asked and was told that the calamari was allowed to 'cure' in the marinade for a very long time and implied that it was for more than 24 hours. If true and factual I have to assume that would be similar to a long simmer in a cooked dish.

However, I do not know the biochemistry behind the protein-acid reaction to know. Are there any good research libraries on line where a person could do read up on applicable Food Science?

[Keith_W]

SamC my knowledge of proteins comes from my medical background. A protein is a chain of amino acids held together by peptide bonds. The peptide bond is pretty strong, and will not break down unless in high heat or under enzymatic action. However, the 3D structure of proteins is held together by hydrogen bonds (and a number of other types of bonds). A hydrogen bond is charge dependent - if the pH of the surrounding environment changes, the hydrogen bond will fail and the protein will unravel. It will still be a chain of amino acids, but it loses its 3D shape and thus its function.

In the case of calamari, both acid and enzymes will tenderize it. Some fruits contain protein digesting enzymes - such as papaya, kiwifruit, and pineapples. A protein digesting enzyme actually breaks down the peptide bonds into individual shorter chains of amino acids, rather than merely causing protein unfolding! Try marinading your calamari in kiwifruit juice, but beware - the enzyme is VERY powerful and can ruin your calamari if you leave it to marinade for too long - i.e. more than 10 minutes!

You will find that acid by itself will have a tenderizing effect, but it is not as powerful. As a comparison, you could marinade your calamari in vinegar side by side with the kiwifruit.

Salt can also alter the charge in the protein molecule and cause it to unfold. But if you cure calamari in salt, it also draws out water. The resulting texture is tender (i.e. it is easy to bite through) but not juicy or succulent.

Using enzymes vs. acid to marinade calamari is a bit like comparing high heat to low heat methods for cooking steak. If you apply more power (and in this case, digestive power) - the outside will be overcooked and mealy whilst the inside remains unaffected. I find the digestive enzymes of kiwifruit to be too powerful, so I rarely use it as a marinade. If I include kiwifruit in the ceviche (and it is delicious in a ceviche!) I add it just before serving.

Edited September 26, 2011 by Keith_W (log)

[ChrisTaylor]

I've heard of people freezing octopus (they bought it fresh) then thawing it to tenderise it before cooking it. Not sure how much of a difference it makes as I've never done it myself. That'd work with squid, right?

[nickrey]

Try cooking at 59C for three hours. To serve, score and sear over high heat.