Tantalizing tubes and tentacles, By Jeremy Goodwin

It is always with some amusement that I hear comments about how awful something is, because the speaker had a bad experience the first time he or she tried something new. I also chuckle when someone is revolted at the idea of eating something based on a common perception (e.g., not eating snails but eating mussels and conch, all of which are mollusks).

A similar thing happens with squid and octopus, which are very closely related, also belonging to the order Mollusca. Even worse are those who try something unknowingly and then dislike it when they find out what it really is.

There is a wonderful scene in a sweet old movie called Shirley Valentine, in which British vacationers on the Greek island of Mykonos are commenting on how good the calamari is, until they are informed by the title character that "calamari" is the Greek word for squid.

Surprisingly, I have seen people try fried calamari over and again when they have repeatedly been served with rubber bands in a batter that soaked up all the flavors that three-week-old fryer fat has to offer. It is often accompanied by an anonymous white gelatinous substance referred to, but bearing no resemblance to, tartar sauce. The proliferation of fried calamari has made the availability of the sautéed or grilled versions very difficult to find in restaurants, but the fresh squid themselves are commonly available in the produce markets of Leon and Querétaro. Many people steer clear of the fresh product, being unfamiliar with how to prepare the animal from the beginning, but there is almost never a need unless you nipped offshore and netted it yourself. Ask the person selling it to you to clean the body and remove the head, and your responsibilities will be reduced to cutting it up and cooking it. The result, after cleaning, is known in the trade as "tube and tentacle" and it is the most common form if you buy the product frozen.

Squid is one of the few types of seafood for which the quality is not noticeably degraded by bulk freezing techniques, and it is quite difficult for even a trained palate to distinguish the difference between the frozen product and fresh. So, if you prefer the supermarket version or want to store it for a while, go ahead and get the frozen version.

Size is important with squid: smaller squid is easier to cook and generally more tender.

The most commonly found sizes are, like shrimp, based on the count per pound, ignoring the fact that most of the countries of origin use the metric system. The three most common eviscerated whole squid counts are 3-5, 5-8 and 8-12.

The 5-8s are around 12 inches in length and are the largest I would suggest buying for home cooking unless you are stuffing the tubes and grilling the tentacles. Stuffing squid is an art in itself, because it is very difficult to balance the cooking times between the tubes and the stuffing. Excellent examples of stuffed squid are particularly common in the southern parts of Italy, and if you have the good fortune to find yourself in a clichéd, sleepy little fishing village on the southern coast, try one of the quayside restaurants and ask for calamari ripieni alla griglia, or just plain calamari estofado.

Today, I would like to concentrate on the sautéed version, which yields a delicate flavor and tender texture and can be served either as an appetizer or as a main course with a variety of delicious but simple sauces.

Tartar Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon hot mustard

2 tablespoons cornichons, finely chopped (any pickle will do)

2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced

1 tablespoon small capers, well drained

Optional for a spicier version:

2 tablespoons fresh horseradish, finely grated

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Blend all ingredients together well and chill thoroughly. Makes about 1¼ cups of tartar sauce. It will keep for about 10 days if covered with plastic at the surface.

Sautéed squid in béchamel sauce

Serves 4 people as an entrée or 6-8 as an appetizer

1 1/2-2 pounds squid tubes and tentacles

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon capers

2-4 cloves garlic, pressed

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the squid tubes into rounds, about 1/4 inch thick, and leave the tentacles whole. Keep the two separate because the cooking times are slightly different.

Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet until it begins to smoke. Toss in the capers and wait until they start popping like popcorn. Add about a quarter of the total squid and some of the garlic, tentacles first, and sauté until they just begin to brown, about two minutes. Remove and reserve them on a warm plate or bowl. Do not put under heat or they will toughen. Any warmth necessary will come from the sauce. Repeat with the remaining tentacles and garlic. The last two batches should be just the circles of tubes.

Quick béchamel sauce variation

4 tablespoons butter, unsalted preferred

2-3 tablespoons flour

2 cups cold milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon ancho chile paste

Pinch of white pepper

1 teaspoon raw sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

Melt the butter in a large skillet until it stops foaming. You may remove the solids if you want to take the time. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the flour and cook gently for 3 minutes, stirring to reduce the tendency to lump. Whisk in the cold milk, salt, pepper, sugar and chile paste. Continue to simmer until it is the consistency of good gravy. If it does not reach the required thickness, add a slurry made from the rest of the flour and cook for a further 3-4 minutes to remove the raw flour taste. Should the sauce get a little stiff, loosen it with some more cold milk. If using the cream, you can add it right at the end and just bring it up to temperature. Once you have perfected the basic béchamel sauce, there are quite a variety of offspring sauces that can be made from it.

Combine the squid and sauce on hot serving plates or, if serving family style, in a large Pyrex dish that has been well heated. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Jeremy Goodwin is an author, freelance food writer and owner of The Best Kept Secret. He may be contacted at Jeremy@dcnet2000.com