Preparing squid

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Published 2024

Rinse the squid thoroughly under cold running water. Put your fingers inside the body, grab the tentacles, together with the soft central bone and intestine, and gently pull out of the cavity.
Separate the two flaps from the body so that the white flesh comes away from the skin attached to the flaps. Gently peel off the skin from the flaps and discard.
Cut away and discard the intestine. Cut off the tentacles from the head of the squid and rub off the skin.
For sashimi, cut the body flesh in half lengthways and then slice each piece crossways into thin strips to reduce its chewy texture. These strips are called ika somen (squid noodles).
For geso (tentacle sashimi), divide the ten tentacles into five equal pieces or separate individually, and cut the two long feelers in half.
For tempura, pan-frying and grilling (broiling), make criss-cross slits on the skin side of the body and cut into pieces.