Feel free to swim through octopus recipes with us! They are easier than you think

Seafood lovers beware! This article was tailored for you.

Dive into the depths of the seas and prepare these delicious squid recipes with us!

You won't believe your eyes how easy they are and your taste buds how delicious they are!

Which delicacy from this sea monster will you try first?

Steamed squid

This recipe for octopus calamari in red wine, fennel, rosemary and tomatoes is perfect as a tapa or simply served with rice or new potatoes.

What will we need

1. Tbsp olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
2. 1 kg prepared squid (cleaned and cut into thick rings)
3. 2 onions (chopped)
4. 3 cloves garlic (sliced)
5. A dash of chili
6. A teaspoon of fennel powder
7. 3 bay leaves
8. A tablespoon of rosemary (coarsely chopped)
9. A pinch of sugar
10. 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
11. 400 g can of chopped tomatoes
12. 200 ml of red wine
13. A handful of chopped coriander
14. Zest from ½ an orange

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a shallow saucepan and add the pieces of squid, onion and garlic
2. Add the dry ingredients (except coriander and orange peel) and cook for about 15 minutes, until all the liquid has evaporated and the onion has softened
3. Add vinegar and chopped tomatoes, cook for another 1 minute
4. Then pour in red wine and season
5. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour, on the lowest heat, until the sauce is rich and the octopus is really soft
6. Turn off the heat and let it cool slightly
7. Drizzle a little olive oil over the squid and sprinkle with coriander and orange peel

Salad with octopus, chickpeas and chorizo

Squid, which is found in every ocean, is the most widespread seafood in the world and one of the cheapest, at the same time very tasty and simple to prepare.

What will we need

1. 4 red peppers
2. 800 g canned chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
3. Bunch of parsley (coarsely chopped)
4. Red chili pepper (seeded and chopped)
5. 2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
6. 100 ml of olive oil
7. 600 g cleaned squid (cut into rings, tentacles left whole)
8. 200g cooked chorizo (cut into chickpea-sized pieces)
9. Juice and zest of 1 large lemon

Method

1. Put the peppers in the oven on a baking sheet
2. We turn on the oven at 220 degrees in the grill mode and bake them, turning occasionally under the grill, until they are completely charred
3. Put the peppers in a bowl, cover with a plate and wait until they are cool enough to handle and peel
4. Cut the peppers, remove the seeds and chop finely
5. In a large bowl, mix the peppers with a little chickpea juice and chickpeas, parsley, chili and garlic
6. Let's put it aside
7. Heat a large pan until it starts to smoke
8. We work quickly and carefully, adding a drop of oil to the pan and then the octopus
9. Fry for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly
10. Sprinkle the octopus with chorizo
11. We continue to cook for another 30 seconds, and then add to the bowl with the peppers
12. Salt and pepper everything
13. Finally, cover with the remaining oil, lemon juice and lemon peel
14. Mix together, pile on a plate and serve

Fried squid rings

Transport yourself to a seaside restaurant with these fried octopus rings inspired by the best Mediterranean restaurants. Frying is easier than you think and the delicious garlic dip only enhances the taste of the octopus.

What will we need

1. 500 g octopus (cleaned)
2. Vegetable oil (for frying)
3. 50 g plain flour
4. 50 g corn flour
5. ¼ teaspoon baking powder
6. A pinch of cayenne pepper

For dip

1. 150 g of mayonnaise
2. Large clove of garlic (finely grated)
3. A pinch of saffron
4. ½ lemon (juice)

Method

1. Cut off the tentacles of the octopus and put them in a bowl
2. Cut the rest of the octopus into rings about a centimeter thick and add them to the bowl with the tentacles
3. In a large pan, heat the oil to a moderate temperature
4. For the dip, mix mayonnaise, garlic, saffron and lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside
5. Mix the octopus with flour, cornmeal, baking powder, cayenne pepper and ½ teaspoon of salt
6. When the oil is melted, add the pieces of octopus
7. We add the pieces in several batches so that they don't start to boil instead of frying
8. Fry for 2 minutes until the pieces are lightly golden and crispy
9. Set the octopus aside on a baking sheet lined with a kitchen paper towel
10. Fried octopus is served warm with homemade garlic saffron dip

Grilled squid

This grilled octopus recipe is loaded with a delicious cheese mixture. The cheese mixture consists of tomatoes, onions, breadcrumbs, green onions, cottage cheese and parmesan cheese. Try this popular Mediterranean delicacy at home.

What will we need

1. 4 large squids (cleaned)
2. 250 g Roman tomatoes (chopped)
3. 150 g white onion (finely chopped)
4. 6 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
5. 200 g breadcrumbs
6. Eggs (beaten)
7. 70 g of cream cheese
8. 70 g of grated parmesan
9. 75 g chopped spring onions
10. Salt
11. Pepper
12. Olive oil

Method

1. Heat about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a non-stick pan
2. Saute ½ onion and cook until translucent and set aside
3. Add half of the chopped garlic to the same pan and sauté for 1 minute
4. Add fried onion, breadcrumbs, egg, cheese, salt and pepper
5. Remove from the heat
6. Fill each piece of octopus with the cheese filling, but do not overfill
7. Fasten the ends of the octopus together with a toothpick
8. Grill the octopuses in a pan and brush with a little oil until they are cooked
9. Add the rest of the onion to the pan and cook until translucent
10. Add the other half of the chopped garlic and cook for another 1 minute
11. Stir in the tomatoes and 120 ml of water
12. Cook for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens
13. Pour the sauce over the grilled octopus and serve hot

Baked octopus with stuffing

You have to try this recipe for squid stuffed with delicious stuffing! The tasty combination of potatoes, dipped bread and fresh turmeric makes for the perfect hearty, tender filling that is accompanied by the freshness of the yogurt sauce that adds another dimension to this seafood dish!

What will we need

1. 600 g squid
2. 200 g of potatoes
3. 90 g of toasted bread
4. 90 ml whole milk
5. Fresh spring onion
6. 10 g of Parmigiano Reggiano
7. Marjoram
8. 10 g of turmeric
9. Egg
10. 10 ml of extra virgin olive oil
11. Salt
12. black pepper

For the sauce

1. 130 g of natural white yogurt
2. 2 teaspoons of whipping cream
3. Dill
4. Extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. To prepare the stuffed octopus, we start with potatoes
2. Put them in a pot of cold water and cook for about 20-30 minutes
3. Once they are done, let them cool, then peel them and set them aside
4. Then we remove the crust from the bread, cut the bread into small pieces and soak them in milk
5. Rinse the squid thoroughly to remove all impurities and cut off the wings with tentacles
6. Finely chop the spring onion
7. Heat extra virgin olive oil in a pan, add chopped spring onion and marjoram
8. Fry for a few minutes at a moderate temperature, stirring occasionally
9. Then add the chopped squid wings and tentacles and cook for a few seconds on high heat to completely evaporate the water released from the squid
10. At this point, you need to start preparing the stuffing
11. Mash the cold potatoes in a large bowl and add the soaked bread, chopped octopus and spring onions, grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, turmeric, salt, pepper and a whole egg
12. Mix everything together thoroughly
13. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, then grease the bottom of a small baking dish
14. Fill the squid with stuffing up to the edge
15. Place them next to each other in a baking dish
16. Season with salt and pepper and finally drizzle with oil
17. Bake for approximately 30 minutes
18. While the squid is baking, prepare the sauce to serve
19. Pour yogurt and cream into a small bowl, add a drop of oil and dill and mix well
20. As soon as the squid are cooked, we take them out of the oven and serve them with the prepared sauce

Spicy Thai-style squid

This Spicy Thai Basil Octopus is an easy octopus recipe that only takes about half an hour and is packed with delicious flavor!

What will we need

1. 2-3 tablespoons of oil for frying
2. 2 shallots (peeled and thinly sliced)
3. 6 cloves of garlic (peeled and chopped)
4. 3 chopped chili peppers
5. 120 g chopped shiitake mushroom caps
6. 500 g squid (cut into rounds, tentacles left whole or cut in half)
7. 2 teaspoons of fish sauce
8. 2 spoons of soy sauce
9. A spoonful of cane sugar
10. A teaspoon of sesame oil
11. 40 ml of water
12. A handful of basil leaves
13. Salt
14. Pepper
15. Boiled white rice (to serve)
16. Spring onion (for garnish)

Method

1. Heat two teaspoons of oil in a pan over medium-high heat
2. Once heated through, add the shallots and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden and soft
3. Add the garlic and chili peppers and cook for another 1 minute until fragrant
4. Immediately transfer to a bowl
5. Heat another teaspoon or two of oil in a pan and add the mushrooms
6. Cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown
7. Transfer them to a bowl with shallots and garlic and season everything with salt
8. Dry the squid thoroughly
9. Season with salt and pepper
10. Heat another teaspoon or two of oil in a pan
11. Once hot, add half the squid and cook for 3 minutes until the squid is cooked through
12. Transfer the squid to the bowl with the shallots and mushrooms
13. Prepare the remaining squid in the same way and transfer it to a bowl
14. For the sauce, mix fish sauce, soy sauce, cane sugar and sesame oil in a bowl
15. Turn on the pan to medium heat, pour in the sauce, add water and bring to a boil
16. Add the squid to the sauce, add the shallot and mushroom mixture and stir to combine the ingredients
17. We reduce the temperature to medium low
18. Tear the basil leaves and add them to the pan
19. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring regularly, until the leaves wilt
20. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary
21. Spicy squid is served with boiled rice and garnished with spring onions

How to clean fresh squid?

If you're lucky enough to get a fresh squid, you might struggle with how to clean it before actually cooking it. Here is a great video tutorial on how to use it!

How to clean SQUID? | Bart van Olphen

Why include squid in our menu?

Nowadays, squid is becoming a basic ingredient for a large part of restaurants.

This great sea monster is commonly found in soups, pastas, risottos and other Mediterranean dishes.

Squid meat has a light to translucent white color, chewy meat and a delicious taste.

In addition to its great taste, it also has many health benefits that should be considered and perhaps include its meat in our diet.

Nutritious food

Squid is high in protein, minerals and low in calories.
Low in calories

Squid is great for those who want to increase their protein intake without having to compromise on their caloric intake (100g has only 75 kcal)

No carbs

This is great news for anyone on a strict diet or keto diet. You can include squid meat in your diet because it does not contain any carbohydrates.
Good source of vitamin B 12 and B6

Our body needs B 12 for a healthy nervous system and blood count. Vitamin B6, in turn, protects the heart against heart diseases such as stroke.

No worries about cholesterol

Like most shellfish, squid also have a high amount of cholesterol in their diet. But that shouldn't stop you from consuming it. Indeed, several studies have shown that eating shellfish tends to lower, not raise, blood cholesterol levels.