Squid Delivery or Pickup

Calamari dish items such as batter-fried rings of squid have become popular in restaurants. This tasty mollusk routinely appears in continental fares like risotto, pasta, soup, bisque, and others. It is also used in Indian coastal dishes where it is prepared fried or in gravy. 

You may wonder what squid meat looks like. It has a translucent, pale white color, with an umami taste and chewy texture. Squid meat offers multiple health benefits and can be used to prepare nutritional meals. Squid belongs to the mollusk category of the shellfish group and comes in four types: red, hard shell, white, and black. Its meat is low in calories and high in minerals and protein, making it a healthy food item. 

With squid meat, you can increase the protein intake in your diet without impacting your calorific goals. There are only 85 calories in a 100g squid serving. However, deep-frying the meat can raise the calorie value. 

You get about 16g of protein in a 100g squid serving. Plus, it has no carbohydrates, which makes it ideal for Keto diet practitioners and protein junkies. Squid meat has low amounts of fat, which means its cholesterol is absorbed poorly. Studies show that consuming shellfish like squid leads to a reduction, not an increase, in blood cholesterol levels. 

In addition, squid is rich in vitamin E and selenium. These nutrients help to promote fertility and regular body growth. The meat also has antioxidant properties that help to combat cancer by inhibiting tumor growth. Squid meat abounds in vitamins B6 and B12. B6 protects the heart from strokes, while B12 is important for blood and neural health.  

Purchase from a dependable source like one of our Instacart grocers to ensure you get the best and freshest meat possible. Clean the seafood properly by pulling off the head, removing the ink sac and innards, and separating the tentacles. Use clean water to scrub the edible tentacles and body tube of the squid. Avoid bacterial contamination by eating the dish fresh on the same day of purchase. Or, you can store the item at between 32-41°F. 

Squid meat needs to be cooked for a very long or short time. Medium cooking makes it rubbery. Two minutes on high heat is enough to cook squid, but to re-tenderize the dish, up to an hour of cooking may be needed.  

A standard serving is 6-12oz of squid. A squid about six inches weighs around four ounces. Select a 5in-sized body for fast cooking, or larger for longer cooking. However, if you wish to harvest the ink, buy a squid bigger than five inches. 

Up to 50% of the squid can be removed during cleaning. Therefore, buy a larger size for recipes that specify cleaned squid. For both long-cooked and fast-cooked dishes, purchase at least a half-pound per person to provide leeway for shrinkage while cooking. 

An easy rapid-cooking method is to parboil the meat by placing it in boiling water for several minutes. Then, plunge the squid into ice water to stop cooking. Drain the water, cut as per your preference, and marinate the meat in your chosen dressing. Many people also choose to fry or bake squid.