How to Clean a Whole Squid

Hi! It's Yoko, a food blogger who eats her way around the world.

Today I'm going to show you how to clean a squid.

Doesn't squid look kind of like an alien...? Octopus too...

But it's less gory than cleaning a fish, and the method is surprisingly easy, so you'll pick it up quickly!

I'll explain the steps with photos, so let's give it a try!

There Are Two Ways to Clean It: "Tsutsunuki" and "Hiraki"

I'll explain the method called tsutsunuki (pulling the innards out through the tube), and once you can do this, you can do hiraki (cutting it open) too!

Tsutsunuki (tube-pull)

This is the basic method: you pull the innards out of the body and then open it up.
Depending on what you're making, you finish with the body opened flat. It's a little harder than hiraki.

Hiraki (cut open)

You cut the body open from the start and then remove the innards and legs.
You work with the guts and ink in plain view, so it's easier to clean than with tsutsunuki.

This time I'm using a knife from a maker called GLOBAL.

The handle has lots of dimples, so it's easy to grip and doesn't slip, and I recommend it.

Thaw the Squid (Put It in the Fridge the Night Before or That Morning)

If your squid is frozen, thaw it first.

Put it in the partial-freezing compartment or similar.

It thaws in about half a day in the fridge, but if it isn't fully thawed, the legs won't come off the body, which makes it really hard to clean, so be careful!

Besides, it's so cold your hands go numb, so you definitely won't be able to clean it (lol).

Separate the Legs from the Body

Once the squid is thawed, put it on a cutting board. I recommend a board that doesn't hold smells easily.

Slide your fingers a few centimeters in where the body connects to the legs (and the innards) and detach the connection.

Be careful not to damage the innards here.

Again, if it isn't thawed enough it won't come off, so make sure it's fully thawed before you start.

Pull the Cartilage Out of the Body

Once the innards and legs are off the body, put your hand inside the body and pull out the cartilage.

If it isn't fully thawed, the cartilage breaks and becomes a hassle (lol).

Above: a cartilage that snapped (lol).

Remove the Fins

Detach the fins (enpera) from the body. You can pull them off by slipping your fingers into the seam.

Peel the Thin Skin

Peel the thin skin off the body and the fins.

If it's slippery and hard to do, you can also rub it off with a paper towel.

For the fins, a shallow cut with a knife makes them easier to peel.

Smooth! Beautifully white.

Separate the Ink Sac from the Innards

It's a little out of focus (lol), but this is the ink sac and the innards.

They're joined together like this. If you sprinkle salt on them in this state and leave them for about 10 minutes, the fishy smell goes away.

The yellow part in the middle is the ink sac.
Gently pull it to detach it.

If you're going to use the innards, make a small cut in them with a knife and squeeze them out.

By the way, if you season this with sake, soy sauce, ginger and so on, you get kimo shoyu (liver soy sauce).

Deal with the Head and Legs

Cut with the knife just below the eyes on the head and separate it from the legs.

Push the beak out from the underside of the legs and pull it off!

The head is edible once you remove the eyes and the cartilage.

For the suckers on the legs, scrape off any that bother you with the back of the knife or its edge, or cut them off with a knife or scissors.

Trim to Length and Width, and You're Ready

This time I cut the body into rings and the legs to about 4 cm long.
(I didn't remove the suckers on these.)

After that, just cut it however you like for your dish!

Enjoy!