Opinions on frozen squid please.

[flamin lib]

My local Asian markets have a wide variety of frozen seafood, including squid and octopus. I can't handle the octopus, they exhibit way too much intelligence so it would be like eating dolphin, but squid is a flavor and texture I really like. I've prepared fresh squid but it's hard to come by. Anybody have any experience with frozen? Is there a big difference in flavor or texture?

Thanks!

[Stinky The Clown]

1. I actually prefer frozen to fresh

The frozen is usually cleaned. The fresh is messy. The taste is very similar ..... maybe even better cuz the frozen may well taste fresher than week old 'fresh'.

One note about **any** frozen Asian seafood. Some of it has a decidedly 'muddy' taste to it. At first I thought this was from poorly done aquaculture, but I have gotten it in wild caught stuff, too. I can't explain why this is.

[flamin lib]

3. Thanks. I'm glad to hear that the frozen product is as good as the

fresh. That makes life a lot simpler.

[The empressof all]

2. I think frozen squid is ok

It's not full of moisture like scallops or shrimp which IMO are adversly affected with freezing. H2S is right in that it usually comes cleaned which makes it so much easier. I love fried calamari with a touch of horseradish in a red sauce (Not cocktail) or with some really garlicy aioli. Another great dipping sauce is to take some Sambal and mix with mayonaise and dijon mustard.

[flamin lib]

4. I've done the flash fried calimari and have also blanched them for

stuffing and then baking in a sauce. I've only used fresh before and did all the prep work myself. Cleaning is simple but getting the skin off can be tedius. What you said about moisture content makes sense--I use flash frozen shrimp all the time and can't tell the difference.

The dipping sauces sound wonderful, I'll have to try them with calamari and some hot Italian or French bread. Toss a salad and it sounds like dinner to me!

[sandnsea]

5. Used to buy 3 lb boxes

It was so cheap, nobody ate squid. I haven't seen them in so long, I think they probably moved it all to the seafood counter now. They weren't cleaned. It was always a big family day, cleaning them and making the batter and frying calamari rings. They were as good as anything I've ever had in a restaurant, absolutely.

[Tab]

6. I'm not sure but I suspect most is frozen unless you live right near a seaport

In many places it's actually a requirement (if only by the client) that the squid be frozen - this is as opposed to literally fresh where they get it from the tank in front of you.

I honestly haven't spend any time discerning the taste difference between octopi and squid - I suspect that I've mainly always had squid. It's likely that I've never actually had octopus. I just assumed they were similar, but perhaps I am wrong.

Either though, is easy to overcook really quickly. They must be delicately cooked.

My favorite preparation - although I don't do it myself (my wife doesn't go for squid, and I don't have a good recipe) is the salty squid preparation made in a top chinese restaurant - those can be just to die for. I've only found two restaurants that do it really well, but they're priceless. One's on the west coast, alas, but the other is only 30 minutes away.

[hippywife]

7. Ewwwwww!

That was my opinion on any squid. :rofl:

Seriously, I cannot bring myself to even try a nibble. It could be because I no longer drink. My most adventurous culinary forays were always preceded by a couple of glasses of wine. ;)

[TreasonousBastard]

8. Bait...

striped bass love it.

:hide:

[wryter2000]

9. It's very good

Thaw it out in the fridge. I'd only buy fresh right after it's pulled out of the ocean.