PDA

View Full Version : Tenderest squid



Freeeedom
01-05-2008, 12:30 PM
I love squid cooked any way but sometimes it can be a bit rubbery if not cooked quickly. So recently I tried the green pawpaw (or papaya) marinating method of tenderising some - and it was fantastic!
I'd known about the tenderising properties of green pawpaw (and kiwi fruit) but had never bothered to try them until now. But since I have a pawpaw tree with loads of green fruit on it I thought "Why not?"
I checked out a few recipes on the web to get some ideas, then skinned and grated a green pawpaw. This was then mixed in with a little milk and the cleaned and scored squid pieces and tentacles were left in this (in the fridge) for about 10 hours. That evening they were simply dried, then dusted in a 'salt & pepper" squid mix and thrown on the barbie. They turned out 'melt-in-your-mouth' tender - so much that you had to be careful handling them or they would fall apart - especially the scored pieces. In future I won't bother scoring them since it won't be needed.
Now all I need to do is catch some more to try it again
Cheers Freeeedom

tunaticer
01-05-2008, 04:57 PM
Personally I like the rubberiness of squid but I have used the kiwi fruit marinade last winter and the family loved it. Now I have a dilemma.........do I marinate and feed them or cook them quickly and super fresh for me????

Jack.

coucho
01-05-2008, 06:43 PM
I heard if you soak them in milk it tenderises them as well

Dirtysanchez
02-05-2008, 04:22 PM
Yeah, the milk does a great job.. Fresh is best
As a young bloke we would all set up on this private wharf very late at night and catch bottle squid, which are small and similar to the ones you get in bait packets.
Anyway, we'd clean them, keep the heads and cook the tubes when we finished.
Portable gas stove, some milk and gralic in a tupperware and oil / pan and it was heaven
Must have looked funny, 2am, some half pissed blokes cooking a feed up on a wharf.. :)
But then at 6am we would have the boat in the water for a quick run out to the reef for a snapper bash, with fresh squid heads

Thanks for the idea :D

Sea-Dog
04-05-2008, 11:38 PM
Will the Kiwifruit marinade trick work on a cheap gristly bit of steak or other types of meat?

I can see an opportunity of earning some brownie points with the "minister" here.

I suppose you could always use tripe if you cant get squid...........

tunaticer
05-05-2008, 07:38 AM
Will the Kiwifruit marinade trick work on a cheap gristly bit of steak or other types of meat?

I can see an opportunity of earning some brownie points with the "minister" here.

I suppose you could always use tripe if you cant get squid...........


Yeah mate kiwi fruit will work on steaks and odd cuts that can be then roasted and will not be tough after cooking. I did some venison neck roasts a few years ago marinated in kiwifruit and herbs and spices overnight, couldn't carve it properly after cooking because it was falling apart.

Jack.

Outsider1
05-05-2008, 07:39 AM
Will the Kiwifruit marinade trick work on a cheap gristly bit of steak or other types of meat?

I can see an opportunity of earning some brownie points with the "minister" here.

I suppose you could always use tripe if you cant get squid...........

Yes it does tenderise meat as well, but don't leave it in the marinade for too long or the meat will turn to soup! About an hour, no more.

Cheers

Dave

Sea-Dog
05-05-2008, 01:18 PM
Now what do you think would happen if I added some kiwifruit juice to the wife's nightly moisturising concoctions? ::)

Do you reckon it would "soften her up" a bit? ;D

tunaticer
05-05-2008, 03:43 PM
Yeah it would probably but don't let her outside cuz she will attract the fruit bats closer to your car!!

Noelm
06-05-2008, 11:44 AM
I think the scoring is only for appearance sake, so it curls up and looks all nice, don't think it has much to do with tenderising, also I prefer the fresh, cooked quick and eaten straight away method as well, tried all sorts of tenderising methods and they all work (except the Milk, reckon that is an old wives tail) but every now and then, I do give it a bit of the Kiwi fruit system.

Mrs Ronnie H
06-05-2008, 07:05 PM
Hi All

I do my squid like this.
First clean and skin, a wash and then i cut into wide strips. Score it both ways and place in bowl. Next comes some Sweet chilli sauce, garlic, ginger and leave stand for a couple of hours in fridge.
I get the wok really hot then turn it off. In with the squid, stir it around and on the plate. Not rubbery at all.

If you deep fry it is cooked as soon as it floats. If you overcook then it will always be rubbery???


Ronnie

Noelm
08-05-2008, 11:15 AM
the way I see it, if you are adding Chillie sauce and garlic and stuff, you might as well use Frozen Squid tubes from the Shop, keep the fresh stuff for the simple ways so you still get the flavour.