Cleaning whole squid into tubes, rings and tentacles
How to clean whole squid for calamari: a seven-step order for removing guts, quill, beak and skin, then cutting the tube into rings or keeping it whole for stuffing.
Contents
Cleaning a whole squid leaves you with the parts worth cooking: the body tube, the side fins and the tentacles. Everything else is discarded, including the guts, the clear quill, the head with its eyes, the hard beak and the purplish outer skin. Whether your recipe or fish counter calls it squid or calamari, the cleaning method is the same. Use it when you buy squid whole and need fried calamari rings, a tube to stuff, or flat pieces to score.
What you keep and what you discard
| Part | Keep or discard | Notes |
| Body tube | Keep | Slice into rings, leave whole for stuffing, or open flat for scoring |
| Side fins (wings) | Keep if you like | Tasman Star retains them as a component |
| Tentacles | Keep | Cut free just below the eyes |
| Guts (entrails) | Discard | Most come out attached to the head |
| Clear quill (pen) | Discard | A stiff, transparent strip inside the tube |
| Head and eyes | Discard | Cut away from the tentacles |
| Beak | Discard | Squeezed out from the center of the tentacles |
| Purplish outer skin | Discard | Peeled from the tube |
Equipment: a sharp knife and a cutting board for separating the tentacles and slicing the tube, plus cold running water for rinsing.
Seven steps to clean squid for calamari
This order combines the cleaning sequences published by Great British Chefs and Tasman Star Seafood Market. The two agree on what gets removed; they differ slightly in order and in what to do with the fins, which is noted below.
- 1. Wash the whole squid. Great British Chefs starts by rinsing the squid before any cutting.
- 2. Pull the head and tentacles away from the body tube. Pull gently; according to Tasman Star, most of the guts come out attached to the head.
- 3. Remove the quill and clean out the tube. Reach inside and draw out the clear quill, also called the pen. Then clear out any guts or membrane still clinging to the inside of the tube.
- 4. Separate the tentacles. Cut the tentacles free just below the eyes. Squeeze the center of the tentacles to push out the hard beak. Discard the head, eyes and beak.
- 5. Peel off the skin. Strip the purplish outer membrane from the tube.
- 6. Deal with the fins. Great British Chefs cuts the fins off the tube; Tasman Star notes that wings that come away can be kept. Either way, they are edible and can be cooked with the rest.
- 7. Rinse the tube and tentacles under cold water, then cut the tube for your recipe (see below).
Choosing rings, an intact tube or a flat piece
Decide how the tube will be cooked before you pick up the knife for the final cut, because each preparation rules out the others.
- Rings: slice the cleaned, intact tube crossways. Use whatever ring width your cooking recipe calls for; ring width is set by the recipe, not by the cleaning method.
- Stuffing: leave the tube whole and unopened after cleaning. Do not slice it.
- Scoring: open the tube flat. This is a separate preparation from rings, so a tube opened flat can no longer be cut into rings.
Example: planning the prep before you start
The worksheet below is an illustrative example, not a recipe. It shows how to match the cleaning and cutting to a dish before you begin.
| Purchased form | Intended dish | Retained components | Cleaning completed | Body cut | Dimensions |
| Whole squid | Ring-based recipe (such as fried calamari) | Tube, fins, tentacles | Guts, quill, head, eyes, beak and skin removed | Keep tube intact until slicing crossways | Ring width from the chosen recipe |
| Whole squid | Stuffed squid | Tube, tentacles | Same as above | Leave tube whole | Per recipe |
| Whole squid | Scored squid | Tube, tentacles | Same as above | Open tube flat | Per recipe |
How to tell the squid is properly cleaned
- The inside of the tube is empty: no quill, no guts and no membrane left.
- The outside of the tube has no purplish skin left.
- The tentacles hold together as one piece cut just below the eyes, with no eyes, head or beak attached.
- The tube and tentacles have been rinsed under cold water.
- If you plan to stuff it, the tube is still a whole, unbroken tube.
Correcting common problems
- Guts stayed behind when you pulled off the head: reach into the tube and clear them out by hand along with any membrane.
- You cannot find the quill: it is clear and easy to miss. Feel along the inside of the tube for a stiff strip and pull it out.
- The beak is still in the tentacles: squeeze firmly at the center where the tentacles meet until it pops out.
- You changed your mind about the dish: an intact tube can still become rings or be opened flat, but a sliced or opened tube cannot be stuffed. Keep the tube whole until you are sure.
Safe handling of raw squid
The FDA's general seafood guidance applies to squid as to other raw seafood.
- Chill squid promptly after buying it.
- Refrigerate at 40°F or below if you will use it within two days of purchase. Otherwise, wrap it tightly and freeze it.
- Thaw frozen squid overnight in the refrigerator.
- Keep raw squid and its trimmings away from ready-to-eat foods while you work.
- After handling raw squid, wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
- Wash cutting boards, knives, dishes and counters with soap and hot water before using them for cooked or ready-to-eat foods.
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