Alternative protein sources

[Ommanipadm]

Asian markets provide a wonderful and very inexpensive variety
of high protein and low calorie foods. One that is fun to
prepare and enjoy is squid. I'd promised the cooking list
months ago that I'd do a picture series on cleaning the giant
squid and finally got around to it.

Thought it might be fun to share here. I prepared it yesterday
along with some crab rangoon.

Hope you find it interesting:

The same techniques work with the smaller ones but I've been a
bit lazy and have been purchasing packages of the small ones
pre-cleaned...

Anyhoo, here goes! It was a bit tricky in some spots to
demonstrate as it takes two hands for some operations, but I
needed one hand for the camera:

Giant squid, whole

http://tinypic.com/ztett2.jpg

First cut. Lift the mantle and cut off the head and tentacles
at the base. This is a bit messy and will require rinsing
afterwards as it cuts thru the stomach:

http://tinypic.com/zteu5k.jpg http://tinypic.com/ztevlg.jpg

Next, cut off the tentacles at the bottom of the head.
Sometimes, depending on where you cut, you may miss removing
the beak. It's easy to see and feel and can be removed
separately:

http://tinypic.com/ztevwp.jpg

Normally, tentacles are cooked in one piece but these are
so large, I later cut them apart into separate ones prior
to cooking.

Next, skin/peel the squid. Loosen the skin using your
fingernails at the front/top of the mantle, then it peels off
usually in one piece if you are careful. The fins have to be
peeled separately:

http://tinypic.com/ztew45.jpg http://tinypic.com/ztewbn.jpg

The squid is now ready to be gutted. The easiest way to do
this is to squeeze it hard, starting at the bottom and working
towards the top, just like a tube of toothpaste. It's a good
idea to do this over the sink:

http://tinypic.com/ztewhw.jpg

This step gets most of them. A second step to finish removing
entrails is done after removing the "spine".

Squid have a clear chitin "spine" running up the back. This is
quite inedible and must be removed.

In a large squid like this one, find the spin insert and make
a small cut with a paring knife underneath it, then grasp it
with your fingernails and pull. In fresh squid, it will pull
out intact.

With smaller squid, it can just be pinched with the
fingernails and pulled out easily:

http://tinypic.com/ztewph.jpg

Once this is done, the squid can then be turned inside out to
finish removing any remaining entrails:

http://tinypic.com/zteww1.jpg

All done! The tentacles are usually cooked as is and the body
tube is usually sliced into rings, breaded and deep fried, or
stir fried or braised:

http://tinypic.com/ztex3m.jpg http://tinypic.com/ztex75.jpg

The body tube can also be kept intact, stuffed and grilled or
braised. There are a number of ways to prepare squid.

My personal favorite is lightly coated and deep fried. Since I
don't use a batter or breading, the oil/grease retained is
minimal. In this case, I just wet it with water and dredged it
in spiced rice flour, then deep fried for 2 minutes. I then
served it over marinated Shiratake noodles:

http://tinypic.com/ztexdz.jpg

Cheers! :-)
--
Peace! Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson