Squid

Cook it very briefly over high heat, or braise it gently until tender: the in-between timing makes it tough. For a quick pan-fry, dry the pieces well and cook for about 1–2 minutes, turning once.

Pull the head and tentacles away from the body, remove the clear quill and innards, then peel off the spotted skin if you want a paler result. Cut off the tentacles just below the eyes, discard the beak, and rinse the body and tentacles; score the body lightly before grilling or frying.

Only eat it raw if it has been handled and frozen specifically for raw consumption; ordinary fresh squid may contain parasites. Keep it chilled, use it promptly after thawing, and avoid raw squid if you are unsure how it was prepared.

Keep it in the coldest part of the fridge in a covered container, ideally over ice with any meltwater drained away, and cook it within a day. Freeze it promptly if you will not use it then, and thaw it in the fridge.

Squid is used in Spanish calamares a la romana, Italian calamari fritti, and Spanish paella; it is also grilled with lemon or stuffed and braised. Serve fried rings with a crisp salad, or add squid to seafood stews near the end so it does not overcook.

For rings in a batter or stir-fry, cuttlefish is the closest swap and cooks in much the same way. Prawns work in a quick stir-fry, but they have a different texture and need less cooking.

Calamari is simply the Italian word commonly used for squid, especially on menus; it is not a separate kind of seafood. Squid contains 17 g protein per 100 g, while one listed calamari entry contains 20.9 g per 100 g.

Squid has 17 g protein per 100 g, while clams have 17.4 g per 100 g, so their protein amounts are close. A meal’s total also depends on what you serve alongside them.