Yaki ina, or grilled squid, is a common food item at street fairs, shrine festivals, and from pushcart vendors. Its incredible soy sauce aroma makes it nearly impossible to pass by without wanting one.
4 servings 1/2 cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger 3 tablespoons mirin 1 pound cleaned small squid
IKA YAKI γ€γ«ηΌγ | JAPANESE GRILLED SQUID IN A PAN
Japanese Grilled Squid (Ikayaki) π
Ikayaki is a popular, no frills Japanese street food which is usually served on sticks so that they can be eaten on the go and enjoyed with a cold beer. The squid is grilled until tender and drizzled with a combination of soy sauce and other Japanese condiments.
Prep: 20sec
Total: 30sec
Ingredients:
- 500g whole squid (cleaned)
- 2 tsp fresh ginger (grated)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp aka miso (red miso paste)
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sake
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 tsp sansho pepper (Japanese pepper, and more to serve)
- Lemon wedges (to serve)
- Grill plate (optional)
Instruction:
To Prep
To prepare the marinade, combine soy sauce, aka miso, mirin, sake, ginger and sancho pepper in a large bowl, and mix well.
Add in the squid, and spoon the marinade over to coat well. Set aside to marinate for 15 mins.
When itβs time to cook, separate squid from the liquids, but reserve the marinade for later use.
To Cook
Cooking on a grill plate: Heat a well-oiled grill plate over stovetop. When grill plate is hot, place squid on the grill to cook for about 12-15 mins, turning occasionally, and glazing the squid with marinade. Cooking time will vary a little according to the size of the squid.
Cooking on a pan: Heat a well-oiled pan over medium-high heat. Add squid to cook on pan for about 4-5 mins on each side, turning occasionally. Add the marinade and cook a further 1-2 mins until the sauce thickens.
To serve, slice the squid into rings and place on serving plate. Add a dash of sansho before serving, and a lemon wedge on the side.
Squeeze lemon over hot squid and enjoy ikayaki with a cold beer!
FAQ
How do you tenderize squid for grilling?
The acidity helps to break down the texture, so soak the squid in lemon or kiwi fruit juice for 30 minutes prior to cooking to tenderize the meat and remove some of the chewiness. Alternatively, soak the squid in milk for an entire night, covered and chilled.
Do you have to boil squid before grilling?
I always boil the calamari first, then let it cool down to room temperature and quickly grill it. Grilling calamari is a delicious way to prepare it, but it’s important to pre-cook your calamari because adding it straight to the grill as-is will result in tough, dry meat.
How do you cook Japanese cuttlefish?
Squid should be lightly coated in olive oil in a medium bowl before being grilled over the hotter part of the grill, turning once, until it is browned on both sides. After being transferred to a platter, squid should be seasoned with salt and pepper, fresh olive oil, parsley, and lemon wedges.