How to Cook the Best Calamares (Squid Rings)

Sick of eating and cooking meat like pork and chicken recipes? You want to give a shot with something new and special? Then, seafood recipes like squid are the right ones for your search. 

The Philippines is one of the seafood exporters known due to its large and extensive marine species source. It is because of rich water sources where marine species like fish, corals, crabs, squids, and many more lives. 

No wonder Filipinos are good cooks because they have the rich resources of ingredients, spices, and herbs that other countries don't have. 

Here is the rich information about how to cook the best calamares recipes. We're going to give you some tips and ways to cook delicious variations and recipes on how you could achieve the finest and exceptional taste you have wanted for so long. 

Stop asking how or what! Keep reading and digging into this article to guide you in cooking Seafood like squid recipes. 

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What is Best Calamares 

Calamari is a Filipino style of calamari in the Mediterranean where the squid's ring is coated with breading and flour. It has the same process and ingredients. 

The only difference is that squid is usually dipped in a spicy vinegar or Toyo and calamansi sauce. In contrast, calamari is commonly dipped in a marina or other sauce, which is tomato-based.

It is a seafood appetizer well-loved by many all over the world. It is an Italian cuisine that comes from the word Calamaro. 

And the term deep-fried squid comes from the Latin word calamarius, which means "pen case" because it has a long tapering shell that produces ink. It is commonly spelled as calamary. 

Usually, squid is in a ring shape, or you could buy a whole squid in the supermarket. 

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Ways to Cook Squid Rings Recipes

Cooking particular recipes has so many ways and methods. So, as we wanted to help you, we researched ways to cook the finest, delicate, and perfect squid in town!

Grilled Calamares

Beyond that traditional way of deep-frying the squid, grilling it is another way to cook it. 

With grilling, you could expect that the marinade mixture you put on the squid would straightly absorb and then cook in it from outside to inside. You could also control whether you want more tenderness in your calamari. 

Deep-fry Squid Ring

After you marinate the buttermilk or lemon juice squid, mix it with all the seasonings and flour to coat the squid. Then, you could place it in a cooking pan with hot oil to cook the squid right. 

It is the original and traditional way of cooking squid. It is easy, convenient, and perfect for the first-time cook to try this way. You could have the chance to check or monitor if the squid's ring is perfect and properly cooked. 

Poaching Squid Ring

Poaching is simply simmering the squid for about 45 to 90 minutes, along with the ingredients and boiling water. 

Many think that poaching squid may cause your squid to be tough and dry. But this is another way of cooking it that enables the squid to produce its natural flavor and oil as this process goes on. 

Sauteed Squid Ring

Sauteing calamari is one of the excellent methods to cook squid. You could place the squid in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit temperature until it becomes soft and tender. 

In this method, after sauteing in the oven, you could fry it in a frying pan together with the other ingredients and olive oil to create a crisp and more tender squid. It only takes five minutes to cook per side of the squid. 

It is convenient and easy because you do not need to watch the squid cook the whole time. Once you set the oven, it would cook the squid beautifully. 

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Other Delicious Variations for Squid Ring Recipes

Do you want to discover and try other variations and recipes for the squid ring? Well, traditional variation has a delicate and exceptional taste. But, other variations would help you discover other cultures and different manners of cooking squid. Thus, here are some recipes that level up the simple squid into amazing recipes.

Steak Squid Ring

Steaks, usually done using meat like beef or pork. But Seafood, like squid, could also be used as the main ingredient in these recipes. 

It is another variation of classic fried calamari and an upgraded version of it. It is a sophisticated and elegant way to present calamari recipes. 

Marinated Squid Ring Recipes

Like the old classic way, the only difference in this variation is that the squid ring recipes soaked with the marinade mixture and buttermilk. It permits you to emerge the big, bold, and rich flavor of the squid recipes. 

It is another version of the upgraded traditional plain flavor of the squid ring. 

Calamari with lemon butter sauce Recipes

Another upgraded version of the squid ring is with lemon sauce, which improves the traditional cooking recipes. It also complimented the saltiness, savory, and delicate taste of the squid by quizzing lemon juice to the calamari during its marinating process. 

You could sautee the squid ring in the lemon butter sauce mixture to add more flavors.

Mediterranean-Braised Squid Ring Recipes

Mediterranean-braised calamari is another variation of squid ring, in which the squid ring needs to saute in a tomato-based mixture, capers, chili peppers, and olives.

It is stewing the squid ring in a tomato-based sauce. It is an Italian way of cooking the squid ring recipes with rich, succulent, and delicate flavors.

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Trivia 

Are you wondering how healthy squid recipes are as food? Well, here's the fact about calamari.

It originates from the Mediterranean and spread quickly to North America in 1975 as the old classic deep-fried cuisine. It is rich in protein that helps your body build muscle and sustain energy in just 3 ounces of squid ring recipes. 

It contains minerals and vitamins as well as antioxidants, which prevents us from cancer. It also fights anemia because it contains copper, which is the key mineral to prevent and fight the deadly disease. 

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Troubleshooting when cooking Squid Ring 

Troubleshooting is an important part of everything we do. Even in cooking, troubleshooting is necessary since errors are always unpredictable. So, here are some of the troubleshooting ideas you could use to cook and taste better the squid recipes.

• To make it more tender, you could soak it in the milk for at least 30 minutes to 4 hours. 

• You could either cook it in a slow over low heat or quickly cook it over high heat. 

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Tips

• In deep frying, squid uses a frying thermometer to monitor the right temperature of oil, So that the squid would not burn or absorb so much oil and be greasy. 

• Make sure to cut the squid in similar sizes, so they are uniform when you cook them.

• Serve the squid right after you cooked it. 

• Add buttermilk, regular milk, or lemon juice to the coating to make it more flavorful and tender. 

• In poaching, you could add wine one or half cup to add more flavor to the squid. 

• Make sure before grilling your squid. You need to pre-cook it so that it would not result in dry and tough meat. 

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Best Served With 

• Hot-steamed rice - nothing beats the Filipino staple food as a partner with squid. It is the most popular partner of these recipes. 

• Spicy vinegar - is the most popular dipped paired with the squid. It contradicts the oiliness and loathing taste of it. 

• Toyo and calamansi - is another common sauce that compliments squid, making it more flavorful and delicious. 

• Pinakbet - mixed vegetables with shrimp sauce and the perfect balance of sweetness from the fresh vegetables, bulkiness, and saltiness. With squid as a side dish. 

• Ginisang munggo- is a savory soup made with squid as a side dish. It could be an ingredient to use in the recipes since it tastes compliments to the savory soup. 

• Chopsuey - is a combination of vegetable compliments to squid and could be the main ingredient. Commonly, Seafood, like squid, could be perfect for vegetables. 

• Ginisang sayote- A stir-fried and sauteed vegetables with squid as a side dish. It compliments very well since it could act as an ingredient as well. 

• Beer- could be a finger or beer food for a night out or family bonding because it lessens the beer's bitter taste.  

• Pineapple juice - aside from beer, pineapple is also perfectly paired to this dish since it would lessen the loathing taste of it. 

• Buko Pandan - a delicious dessert great with squid recipes with a bit of saltiness flavor while this dessert is sweet and tasty that compliments each other.

• Minatamis na saging - is a sweet ripe banana with sweet and delicious syrup, a perfect partner for squid recipes because of its delicateness. That is why it complements the squid ring recipes.

• Tofu Sarciado -  is a tomato-based mixture with perfect tofu combination to squid. Its taste and flavor hooked up with the calamari. It could serve as a side dish along with this menu.

• Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta - is an Italian pasta that compliments with the squid since it is also an Italian menu. Its creaminess is perfect for the squid ring's succulent taste. 

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Conclusion

Innovation and creativity in food recipes are good signs that people try to discover new things, especially upgrading the old classic cooking method, especially the squid. 

If you are a first-timer or experienced one, we want to share these recipes with you for your convenience. All information you need to know is available in the article so you could enjoy your cooking journey. 
Cooking is a tough job, but it is worth the time and effort. It is a life skill; thus, improving it is essential, especially when you are a seafood lover and sick of eating plain and flat flavor of squid ring recipes. We give you desirable recipes to help you achieve the perfect cook for your calamares.

For more delicious recipe, visit Eat Like Pinoy!

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