Yamaguchi Ika Club
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YAMAGUCHI FISHING JOURNAL

03THE IKA KITCHEN

Something good from the squid kitchen.

14 home recipes, chosen by the five squid you can catch in Yamaguchi—raw, fried and simmered. Switch quantities for two or four servings.

From sashimi
to weekend pasta.

Pick a dish by the squid you caught—or use store-bought squid on other days. Anything eaten raw must be frozen first.

Recipes composed for home cooking by the club. Photography shows separate serving examples.

How to handle the squid you caught ↓

Grilled squid: a serving example, not a photo of our recipe or a Yamaguchi restaurant.

Photo: Ocdp ・ CC0 ・ Source ↗

Five squid you can catch in Yamaguchi

Recipes

Sauté 15min Squid & broccoli with soy butter A quick skillet of squid and broccoli with fragrant soy butter. Bigfin reef squidKisslip cuttlefishGolden cuttlefish Ingredients & steps Simmer 35min Ginger-simmered squid & daikon Tender daikon in a ginger-soy broth, made for a bowl of rice. Spear squidKisslip cuttlefish Ingredients & steps Pasta 25min Garlic & tomato squid pasta A weekend pasta that works with properly thawed frozen squid, too. Golden cuttlefishKisslip cuttlefishSwordtip squid Ingredients & steps Dress 10min Boiled firefly squid with vinegar miso A small savory plate made with ready-cooked firefly squid. Ingredients & steps Raw 20min Bigfin squid sashimi (frozen first) The simplest way to enjoy sweet bigfin squid—safely, by freezing it first. Bigfin reef squidSwordtip squidSpear squid Raw: freeze first Ingredients & steps Deep-fry 20min Bigfin squid tempura Thick, sweet squid turns soft and tender. Eat it hot with salt. Bigfin reef squidSwordtip squidKisslip cuttlefish Ingredients & steps Grill 15min Whole grilled swordtip squid with salt Sweet swordtip squid needs nothing but salt. Slice it into rings straight off the grill. Swordtip squidSpear squidBigfin reef squid Ingredients & steps Simmer 60min Rice-stuffed squid (ikameshi) Squid stuffed with sticky rice and simmered sweet and savory. Small swordtip or spear squid work best. Swordtip squidSpear squid Ingredients & steps Simmer 20min Simmered spear squid Tender spear squid is best simmered briefly. In spring, egg-laden females make it a feast. Spear squidSwordtip squid Ingredients & steps Marinate 15min Soy-marinated spear squid (okizuke, frozen) An angler’s treat: fresh squid marinated whole in soy and frozen. Slice it half-thawed. Spear squidSwordtip squid Raw: freeze first Ingredients & steps Pasta 25min Cuttlefish ink pasta A jet-black feast made with the generous ink of a fresh cuttlefish. Golden cuttlefishKisslip cuttlefish Ingredients & steps Deep-fry 25min Breaded cuttlefish Crisp outside, tender inside. Scoring the thick flesh is the secret. Golden cuttlefishKisslip cuttlefishBigfin reef squid Ingredients & steps Deep-fry 25min Japanese-style fried cuttlefish (karaage) Big, thick kisslip cuttlefish is perfect for karaage—great in lunch boxes too. Kisslip cuttlefishGolden cuttlefishBigfin reef squid Ingredients & steps Stir-fry 15min Cuttlefish & celery stir-fry Firm cuttlefish and crunchy celery in a quick, light Chinese-style stir-fry. Kisslip cuttlefishGolden cuttlefishBigfin reef squid Ingredients & steps

Handling the squid you caught

Dispatch, chill, clean and store—start here before you cook.

Dispatch it right away

  1. Pierce between the eyes, where the mantle meets the head, with a squid pick or knife tip. The body turns pale when done.
  2. Point it toward the sea—squid squirt ink.

Keep it cold on the way home

  1. Bag each squid separately so ink does not stain the rest.
  2. Chill in a cooler with newspaper or a towel between the squid and the ice to keep the flesh looking good.

Cleaning: bigfin, swordtip and spear squid

  1. Slide a finger between mantle and arms, loosen, then gently pull the arms and innards out together without bursting the ink sac.
  2. Pull out the clear cartilage and rinse. Peel off the fins, then peel away the skin from there.
  3. Cut the arms just below the eyes, remove eyes and beak, and scrape off the hard sucker rings.

Cleaning: cuttlefish

  1. Work in the sink—ink splashes. Cover the board with plastic wrap and wear an apron.
  2. Cut down the center of the back and push out the white cuttlebone.
  3. Pinch off the ink sac (save it for ink dishes), remove innards and arms, then peel the skin.

Before eating it raw

  1. Squid can carry Anisakis parasites. To eat it raw, freeze the cleaned flesh at −20°C or below for at least 24 hours (Japan’s Ministry of Health guidance). Check that your freezer actually reaches −20°C.
  2. Thaw in the refrigerator and look over the surface for thin white threads before serving.
  3. Vinegar, salt, soy sauce and wasabi do not prevent it. When cooking, heat through to the center (70°C, or 60°C for one minute).

Freezing for later

  1. Clean, pat dry, wrap in single portions and seal flat in freezer bags with the air pressed out.
  2. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator.