1 kilo squids or calamares, cleaned. See below on how to clean squids.
5 tbsps. cooking oil
1 pc. medium onion, sliced
5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 leaves laurel
1/2 tsp. whole black pepper, crushed
3 pcs. sili-labuyo, chopped
1-1/2 cup water
1/2 of 1/4cup vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
vetsin to taste
PROCEDURE:
Saute garlic and onion in cooking oil. Add cleaned squids, vinegar, soy sauce, laurel, black pepper, and water. Cook the squids until it gets tender and taste the broth if it's need to add soy sauce or vinegar. Add the vetsin to taste and also the sili-labuyo. Serve hot with rice.
COOKED HOT ADOBO CALAMARES
SOY SAUCE AND VINEGAR
DRY LAUREL LEAVES
CHOPPED SILI-LABUYO
GARLIC AND ONION
CALAMARES OR SQUIDS
Squid are quite popular in Italy: The bodies, sliced into rings and fried, are an absolute requirement in a mixed fried fish, and they are als quite tasty either stuffed or simply cooked. If you buy them at a fish market, chances are they'll be cleaned, but if they're not it's not difficult:Begin by cutting off the end with the tentacles and beak; remove and discard the beak and set the tentacles aside. Grasp what is left of the head (the area with the eyes) and pull it out of the body; the internal organs will come with it. If you want the squid ink, carefully separate the ink sack and set it aside. Rinse the body cavity, reaching in with a finger to make sure nothing is left (you can also make a slit up the side of the body, but it is easier to stuff a squid if you don't).
Squid Stew With Artichokes
INGREDIENTS:
4 half-pound (200 g) squid
4 artichokes
3/4 pound (300 g) onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
A small bunch parsley, minced
The juice of 2 lemons, or the equivalent volume of vinegar
Extravirgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
If the squid weren't cleaned, clean them, keeping some of the ink, and skin them if you want. Wash them well, cut the bodies into thin strips, and cut the tentacles into pieces.
PROCEDURE:
Sauté the onion in 1/4 cup of olive oil. When it is golden, add the squid and the ink, and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. In the meantime clean and prepare the artichokes, cut the hearts into eighths, and put the pieces in a bowl of water, adding the lemon juice to keep them from blackening.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a second pot and cook the artichokes until half done with the parsley and garlic, about 10 minutes. Add the artichokes to the squid, check seasoning, and simmer for 15 minutes more.
How to clean squids
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Do you know how to clean squids? Well, unless you have been coached by your mom or someone who knows how to do it, squid can be pretty complicated to clean because they have many parts that need to be disposed off.
HOW TO KNOW IF THE SQUID IS FRESH?
Firstly, if you want to buy fresh squids, remember to find those that have almost transparent-like outer layer. If the squid is all reddish and purplish, they are not that fresh anymore.
These are squids I bought this afternoon from the wet market and they are still very fresh looking. Do you notice how the top one is much whiter than the other two? It is hard for us to get really transparent like ones so that’s the best we can get.MOST IMPORTANT - GET RID OF THE INK BAG
Step one is to gently pull the head or tentacles from the body. Do not yank too hard or the ink bag will be left in the body.
That tiny silverish tear-drop shape sac is the ink. Use your finger and gently pull it off and throw them away. Of course, the ink is only unsightly but it is edible. There are Italian pasta made with squid ink. Make sure you get rid of the ink bag from every squids.GET RID OF THE TEETH
I am not sure what it is called but it is like a tooth. Press the top of the tentacle part and the hard lump of sharp, brownish ‘fang’ will pop out.CUT OUT THE EYES
Take a sharp knife and gently cut out the eyes. They can squirt you messy liquid so do it under running water if you do not want to get splattered with purplish black liquid. Now you have very clean tentacles.PULL OUT THE SOFT ‘BONE’
Now, let’s tackle the body. In each squid, there is this transparent thingie which is like the bone. Pull them out.
Also check that there are no dead fishes and grime in the body of the squid. Sometimes, the squid have undigested pieces of foods which can be very icky. However, if what’s left inside are white, creamy stuffs, those are the eggs. You will want to keep them.GET RID OF THE PURPLE LAYER
Finally, use your fingernails and tear off the purplish, polka dotted layer. Then you will have perfect, white and cleaned squids.
Squids can be stored well in the freezer compartment.When cooking, squids will ooze a lot of water. So, if you wish to make a dry dish, remember to give the squid a quick stir in a pan over fire to get rid of the water before cooking them.
