Delicious recipe ideas and a step-by-step guide to extracting ink from your own fresh squid

If you’ve never had squid ink before, your first thought might not be “Mmm, delicious!” However, this versatile, bluish-black substance that cephalopods use to escape from predators is a tasty addition to many pasta, rice, and seafood dishes. The best part is, it’s super easy to cook with, too. In this article, we’ll walk you through squid ink’s complex flavor, how it’s used in recipes, and even show you how to extract it from a fresh squid yourself. Read on to wow your friends with a striking black recipe at your next dinner party—you could even use the ink to write about how delicious it was!

Things You Should Know

  • Squid ink has a subtle, salty, briny flavor that works well in a variety of dishes like pasta, rice, bread, and even ice cream or cocktails.
  • Squid or cuttlefish ink is available online or at high-quality seafood, Italian, Spanish, or Japanese markets.
  • To extract ink, prep a squid the same way you would for calamari. Instead of tossing the organs, cut off the silvery ink sac and squeeze the ink into a bowl.
Section 2 of 8:

What is squid ink?

Section 5 of 8:

Health Benefits

  1. Squid ink has impressive antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Studies have shown that the ink can neutralize bacteria that cause dental plaque and foodborne illnesses like E. coli. Its antioxidant properties are also thought to prevent cell damage from free radicals that cause cancer, heart disease, or diabetes. The compounds in squid ink might also help develop immune cells, prevent ulcers, and help blood vessels dilate.[5]
    • Most of the studies about squid ink benefits have been performed in test tubes or in animals. More research is needed to confirm its benefits for humans.
    • Squid ink contains melanin, a variety of amino acids, metals like cadmium and copper, enzymes, polysaccharides, and catecholamines.
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Section 6 of 8:

Culinary Uses

  1. 1
    Black pasta is one of the most popular uses of squid ink. The ink gives the noodles a striking color and adds a very subtle, briny flavor that really accentuates seafood pasta dishes. The ink flavor blends harmoniously with other flavors in the dish and is rarely overpowering (unless you accidentally add too much!).[6]
    • Sometimes the ink is used in a white wine sauce and added on top of regular pasta. It’s a great way to get the flavor, but the color isn’t as striking.
  2. 2
    Squid ink can also color and flavor rice. For example, Spanish paella with black rice (called arroz negro) is a popular and beautiful dish made with squid ink. The ink stains the outside of rice grains and adds a salty, umami flavor that’s deep and smooth. Black rice can also be used to make sushi, side dishes, or any other recipe with rice.[7]
  3. 3
    Squid ink acts like a tasty food coloring in bread and buns. Unlike in pasta or rice dishes, the ink flavor is very, very faint when it’s baked in bread. If you’re eating plain bread, you might get a hint of salty brine, but any spreads or sandwich ingredients will overpower the flavor. Black bread is very eye-catching though, and some restaurants incorporate it into their menus around Halloween.[8]
  4. 4
    A few drops of squid ink can dye and flavor soups and sauces. This is especially common with seafood soups and dishes or certain pasta sauce recipes, but the mild and versatile flavor can be easily added to any dish. The next time your soup needs a little more salt and complexity, squid ink might be the solution![9]
  5. 5
    Squid ink enhances the flavors of other seafood dishes. It can be added to almost any dish for a little extra brine and a punch of black color. Some recipes include black sushi rice, fish ‘n’ chips made with a black batter, seafood tacos on squid ink tortillas, black calamari, and black tempura.[10]
  6. 6
    Squid ink is so versatile, it can even be used to make black ice cream. In some Korean cities and fish markets, it’s an in-demand sweet treat that became more widely known during the 2018 Olympics. The salty sweetness tastes almost like salted caramel or a slight chocolate flavor. It might look bizarre, but it tastes fantastic![11]
  7. 7
    A few drops of squid ink can take cocktails to the next level. The ink is pretty concentrated, so you only need a few drops to make a tasty, mysteriously black beverage. The salty brine pairs well with the olive taste of martinis or even the licorice taste of absinthe. Any cocktail you might pair with oysters or seafood might benefit from a few drops, too.[12]
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Section 7 of 8:

Cooking with Squid Ink

  1. 1
    Use squid ink sparingly and add it to recipes while the food is cooking. Unless you’re making something like bread or pasta and need to mix it into dough first, add your ink while rice, soups, or sauces are simmering so the flavor can blend evenly into the dish. Follow recipe amounts carefully and don’t add extra ink unless you’re making an extra big batch of something. Most recipes that serve 4-8 people only call for a few teaspoons of squid ink at most.
    • Even a giant paella that serves 6 only needs 3  tsp (15 mL) of ink.[13]
    • If you’re freestyling, be conservative with how much ink you add (you can always try your recipe again with a larger amount next time!).
  2. 2
    Add ink to pasta dough to make homemade noodles black. Follow any noodle dough recipe as written, but with one small addition—when it comes time to add eggs to your dry ingredients, just pour your ink alongside them. For a recipe that serves 4-6 people, add 4  tsp (20 mL) of squid ink.[14]
    • Try pre-made black pasta if you can’t locate quality squid ink. Purchase the black noodles and boil them until they’re soft, just like regular noodles.
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Section 8 of 8:

Extracting Ink Yourself

  1. 1
    Buy a fresh squid that hasn’t been cleaned or prepared yet. Look for one with a shiny and slightly translucent appearance and avoid slimy or dull looking squids. Ask the fishmonger to remove the ink sac for you, or take the entire squid home to prepare yourself.[15]
    • Fresh squid is available at most seafood markets, or even local farmers’ markets if you live on the coasts.[16]
  2. 2
    Pull the finned tube away from the head and tentacles. Work over the sink with gloves on, since this can get a bit messy. Grab the tube (the long, cone-shaped part of the squid’s body) in one hand and the squid’s head in the other and gently pull them apart. The head should pop off easily and pull the squid’s organs out with it. Put your fingers inside the tube and pull out the transparent, plastic-looking cartilage inside and discard.[17]
    • Be careful not to squeeze anything above the eyes or you might pop the ink sac.
    • Set the tube aside for rinsing, slicing, and cooking once the organs are removed.
  3. 3
    Make a slice between the squid’s eyes and the tentacles. Feel around for a hard beak inside the tentacles and pull it out with your hands, then discard it. Set the tentacles aside for rinsing and cooking. You’re now left with the squid’s eyes, head, and internal organs.[18]
  4. 4
    Use a sharp knife to slice the ink sac away from the squid’s body. Look for a small, thin, silvery sac about halfway up the squid’s body. The sac is attached by both ends, so slide a knife underneath it and slice outwards to sever it from the body. Be very cautious since an accidental puncture can send stain-making ink all over your clothes and kitchen.[19]
    • Discard the internal organs, but save the head to access the ink behind the eyes.
  5. 5
    Hold the sac over a bowl or container and gently puncture it with a knife. Squeeze all of the ink into the container (try to use ceramic or glass since the ink can stain plastic bowls). Keep squeezing until there is no longer any black liquid dripping out. Be extra careful with smaller sacs since the pressure might make them spray ink more intensely.[20]
    • If you’re waiting to empty the ink sac until later in the recipe, place it in a bowl and cover it with a damp cloth to keep it from drying out.[21]
  6. 6
    Squeeze ink out of the deposits behind the squid’s eyes. Look near the slice you made earlier between the eyes and the tentacles—you should see black ink deposits behind the squid’s silvery retinas. Poke your knife into the ink and then squeeze the squid over your ink bowl to get the last few drops of ink, then repeat on the other eye.[22]
    • Discard the squid’s head. The tube and tentacles can be used for making calamari, seafood soups, and other recipes.
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Warnings

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Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about using squid ink, check out our in-depth interview with Alex Hong.

About This Article

Alex Hong
Co-authored by:
Executive Chef & Restaurant Owner
This article was co-authored by Alex Hong and by wikiHow staff writer, Dan Hickey. Alex Hong is the Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Sorrel, a New American restaurant in San Francisco. He has been working in restaurants for over ten years. Alex is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and has worked in the kitchens of Jean-Georges and Quince, both Michelin-starred restaurants. This article has been viewed 2,659 times.
4 votes - 65%
Co-authors: 6
Updated: March 31, 2023
Views: 2,659
Categories: Fish and Seafood
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