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The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food
Prepared with little or no added fat, to preserve the seafood’s status as a low-fat food.Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food
Low-cholesterol diet
Low-protein diet
Low-sodium diet (frozen squid or octopus)Buying This Food
Look for: Fresh whole squid with clear, smooth skin. The squid should smell absolutely
fresh. Squid larger than 8 inches may be tough.
Choose fresh, whole baby octopus or octopus meat that looks and smells absolutely
fresh. Octopus larger than two to 2.5 pounds may be tough.Storing This Food
Refrigerate fresh, cleaned octopus or squid immediately and use it within a day or two. Fro-
zen squid or octopus will keep for one month in a 0°F freezer.Preparing This Food
NOTE: Handle live squid or octopus with care. They bite.
Squid. Whole squid are usually sold cleaned, like any other seafood. If you are cleaning
the squid yourself, your goal is to throw out everything but the empty saclike body and the
tentacles. Start by removing the beak. Then reach into the body cavity and pull out all the
innards, including the cartilage. (If you tear or puncture the ink sac and spill the ink, just wash
it off your hands.) Cut the innards away from the body and throw them out. Peel off the skin.
Squeeze the thick end of the tentacles and discard the small yellowish piece of meat that pops
out. Rinse the squid meat thoroughly, inside and out, under cool running water. Stuff the sac
whole for baking or cut it into rings and stew it along with chunks of the tentacles.
Octopus. Cleaned, dressed octopus needs only be rinsed thoroughly under cold running
water. To prepare a small whole octopus, remove the beak, eyes, anal area, and ink sac. Cut
off the tough ends of the tentacles, slice the tentacles into rounds or chunks, rinse them
thoroughly under cold running water to remove all the gelatinous cartilage, and pound the
meat to tenderize.
When you are done, clean all utensils thoroughly with soap and hot water. Wash your
cutting board, wood or plastic, with hot water, soap, and a bleach-and-water solution. For