Squid and chorizo

Why you’ll love this squid with chorizo recipe

Squid with chorizo is one of my favourite dishes ever. It's simple, yet elegant. It's rustic, yet sophisticated. It's hearty, yet light. It's everything you want in a dish, and more. It combines the tender and succulent squid with the spicy and smoky chorizo, creating a mouth-watering explosion of flavours.

You will love how the squid absorbs the juices from the chorizo, and how the chorizo adds a nice crunch to the dish. Plus, it only takes thirty minutes to make, so you can whip it up in no time.

How to make squid with chorizo: an easy and delicious Spanish dish

This dish is perfect for any occasion. You can serve it as a main course for a cosy dinner with your loved ones, or as a tapa for a festive occasion with your friends.

You can pair it with some crusty bread to mop up the sauce, or with some salad to balance out the richness. You can enjoy it hot or cold, depending on your preference.

You can even make it ahead of time and reheat it when you are ready to eat. It's versatile, adaptable, and always delicious.

The origin of this amazing dish

I first discovered this dish when I was traveling in Spain a few years ago. I was in a small town in Galicia, where they are famous for their seafood.

I stumbled upon a local restaurant that had a sign that said "Pulpo y Chorizo" (Squid and Chorizo). I was intrigued by the combination, so I decided to give it a try.

And boy, was I glad I did. It was one of the best meals I ever had in my life. The squid was fresh and tender, the chorizo was spicy and smoky, and the sauce was rich and flavourful. I was in heaven.

Ever since then, I have been making this dish at home whenever I crave some Spanish flavours. And every time I make it, I am transported back to that little restaurant in Galicia, where I had one of the most memorable culinary experiences of my life.

And now, I want to share that experience with you.

The squid issue

I love eating squid, I just hate cleaning it. The fishmonger in my local market usually sells cleaned up, gutted and scaled fish, but the squid sits there, all inky and covered in the awful sticky membrane, with the random piece of plastic they call ‘the bill’ inserted in the middle.

Once you get rid of all that, just about, you still have the snot inside the tube. So my favourite way of cutting it - into rings - means you have to clean each ring individually, scraping the snotty bits from the inside.

Forget about tentacles: the eyes glaring at you need to be removed and, as with many seafood creatures, you never quite know where to cut off the inedible bits. Beak. Ink sac. Urghh. I know - shop in the supermarket, woman.

How to clean squid in 6 easy steps

So if cleaning squid seems intimidating, find out how to get the hang of it. Here are the basic steps to follow:

- Rinse the squid under cold running water and pat them dry with paper towels.

- Pull the head and tentacles away from the body. Cut off the tentacles just below the eyes and discard the head and the beak.

- Squeeze out the innards from the body and remove the quill (the transparent plastic-like spine). Peel off the skin and any membranes from the body and the tentacles.

- Cut open the body and scrape off any remaining innards. Rinse the body and the tentacles again and drain well.

- Cut the body into rings or leave it whole, depending on your preference. You can also score the body with a knife to create a crisscross pattern if you like.

- Your squid is now ready to cook.

So without further ado, let me show you how to make this amazing dish of squid with chorizo. Trust me, you will not regret it. And if you do try it, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I would love to hear from you!

More seafood recipes

Fragrant fish stew with mixed fish chunks and seared scallops, crunchy vegetables and herbs. Easy, healthy and incredibly tasty.

Mussels in white wine and cream sauce, or moules mariniere, the simplest and best recipe for mussels. Clean the mussels and debeard them, then steam in the white wine sauce.

Scallops with chorizo and courgette. Scallops need to be seared or flash fried and they go well with gutsy sausage, bacon or black pudding.

More chorizo recipes

Butter beans and chorizo dish with crispy Parmesan topping, a little heat from a chilli and saltiness from anchovy. A dish fit for a king and it’s ready in half an hour.

Crispy rice with chorizo and mushrooms blasted under the grill for super-crunchy breadcrumb and Parmesan topping. A dish based on the paella theme but ten times easier.

Hasselback chorizo stuffed with halloumi chunks is an upscale, deconstructed hot dog and completely irresistible. This is your guilty food pleasure turned into a proper meal!