The Trick To Cleaning Squid Without Breaking The Ink Sac

If you've ever had squid, then you know how delicious it can be when prepared correctly. Calamari is one of the most essential words in an Italian restaurant for good reason, after all. And fortunately for you, you don't need to be a master chef to enjoy delicious fresh squid. Unfortunately for you, cleaning fresh squid involves navigating around its ink sac, one that can easily break and get dark stains everywhere.

In order to clean your squid without breaking the ink sac, you first need to remove the head. That would be the lower portion where the eyes are located, not the long tubular structure above (that's the trunk). Take the head and trunk in each hand, gently squeeze, and twist carefully to separate the two sections. With any luck, most of the organs — including the ink sac — should come out with the head. Before cutting anything else, find the ink sac so that you can avoid it when separating the head from the organs. It should be a small silvery-black blob amongst the other innards. If it's not there, it'll be in the trunk. Carefully cut it out with the tip of a sharp knife.

Once you have the ink sac clear, the rest of the process is fairly simple. Throw away the sac unless you plan to harvest the ink, in which case set it aside for later. Cut the tentacles from the head and remove the beak. Then, remove the cuttlebone from the trunk, as well as any remaining organs from inside, and skin it. Viola! You're ready to whip up some delicious Spanish seafood paella.

While cleaning squid, wear clothes you don't care about. In the event the ink sac does break, you don't want to get ink all over your nice clothes. You can also wear an apron and protective rubber gloves to protect both your clothes and your skin from picking up any stains. Finally, it's a good idea to lay down plastic wrap around the area where you're cleaning the squid. Remember, squid ink leaves stubborn stains, so it pays to be extra cautious.

If the ink sac breaks and you do get stained, it's not the end of the world. If ink gets in your clothes, dab at the spot with a paper towel and rinse with cold water before washing with a strong detergent. You may have to wash clothes more than once to fully get the stain out. If ink gets on your skin, there's not much you can do besides wait. However, it will come off in time as your skin sheds dead cells and replaces them with new ones, so don't panic.

Finally, when cleaning squid, it's important to use a sharp knife. Properly sharpened knives are easier and safer to work with than dull ones, which can catch and skid around in dangerous ways. In other words, since you won't have to use as much force, you run less risk of accidentally cutting yourself. Sharpen your kitchen knives at least every couple of months to keep yourself safe while cooking.