There’s nothing more frustrating that finding out that your seafood didn’t thaw (or "slack") correctly. It can be dried out, tough, lose flavor, or take longer than you planned for – none of which work for a busy restaurant or at-home chef.
So what is the right way to thaw out your calamari to keep it tender and delicious? Sometimes, in our desire to do it right, we make it harder than it has to be. When it’s block frozen (like our frozen products are), it’s actually pretty simple. Here are two methods from our Quality Assurance team:
Method 1: Fridge Thaw
If you have some time to plan ahead, you can simply put your calamari in the fridge to thaw overnight (8-10 hours). The key: keep it in the bag! Don’t open the bag, move it to another container, or leave it uncovered. The air will dry the calamari out. Once the thaw is complete, simply rinse in cool water, drain, and you’re ready to cook.
Method 2: Cool Water Thaw
If you’re a little more pressed for time, you can thaw with cool water. Remove the calamari from the bag and tray, and place in a large bowl. Place the bowl under the tap and continuously run cool water over it for 5-10 minutes. When the piece have separated and are no longer rigid, give them one more rinse, drain, and you’re ready to cook.
PS: Check our our calamari recipe page for inspirations post-thaw!