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I'm always amused by the recipes for calamari that give advise: either flash cook or cook for hours so as to not have them taste like rubber bands, There is an easier way. Blanch them.
No matter if your are going to grill them, sauté them, stir fry, or other, first you need to blanch them. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add some herbal seasoning of your choice (I used several pieces of clove and some white wine. Blanch (simmer) for 1 1/2 hours. You can walk away. Nothing to watch. Remove and rinse. At this point you can store in refrig if you care to. You can marinade. Grill. or any receipe you care to follow as now the calamari is soft and rid of the rubber band texture.
Yes that's right. 4-5 clove in water. Why? Because the chef that makes the best calamari in the NYC area told me so when I asked him years ago "How to get the calamari the texture of butter?"
I disagree about having to always blanch first. What you're describing isn't blanching, though.
If you're going to simmer them for 1 1/2 hours, how is that different than baking (braising) or throwing them in a slow cooker? You're still cooking them low and slow.
I've never had any problems with calamari being tough. Cook on low heat until just barely done. If you are worried about it being chewy, you can treat it just like abalone; pound the bejebbers out of it with a meat hammer. Well.... not just like abalone. You really pound abalone into submission. Calamari should not need to be whacked so fiercely.
How do you make fried calamari?? Rubber bands and sand with a splash of lemon.
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