There is certainly no shortage of “How-to” advice out there when it comes to the best way to tenderise squid. Avoiding serving chewy, rubber-band tough squid has been an ongoing challenge in restaurants (and homes) for years.
Some recommend soaking in pineapple juice and the acid will help breakdown the texture, it didn’t work for me. I saw one YouTube clip where the squid was cooked for 5 hours at 60C/140F, and by the end the squid was so broken down it had lost all of its structure and texture.
The pineapple cut squid works, but the meat undergoes a significant change and I prefer something that preserves the original integrity of the squid, although it is tender.
So, whether you are fortunate enough to find fresh squid or need to use frozen, the tenderisation process is the same..
HOW TO TENDERIZE SQUID
Fill a sauce pan large enough to hold the squid, 3/4 full of lightly salted water, and heat to 60 C/140 F.
You will need a good digital thermometer, and if you don’t have one, get one. The skill of consistent cooking is based on knowing exact temperature, and as you work to improve your results, a thermometer will become your best friend.
Put the cleaned, sliced squid into the water when it reaches 60 C / 140F and give it a quick stir. The temperature of the water may drop, but keep heat going until the water is back up to 60 C / 140 F then turn off the heat.
Maintain 60 C / 140 F temperature for 5 minutes then rinse, chill and store refrigerated.
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