Octopus, squid and cuttlefish are collectively called cephalopods, meaning literally ‘head foot’ in Greek – which sort of sums them up. They’re easy to prepare when you know how, great on the barbecue and in a wide range of other recipes.
Shellfish is a general term for all aquatic creatures other than fin fish. It includes crustaceans (such as prawns) and molluscs/mollusks which are further categorised into bivalves (such as clams) and cephalopods (such as squid).
Cephalopods are molluscs without an external shell. The name comes from the Greek, meaning ‘head-feet’, which sums up the appearance of octopus, squid and cuttlefish. Cephalopods have an ink sac from which they squirt a thick black ink to help distract predators.
Cephalopods must be cooked either briefly over a high heat or for a long time over a low heat, anything in between and they become tough and chewy.
Cephalopods (especially octopus and cuttlefish) are a relatively inexpensive seafood and good value as there’s very little waste.
Octopus are the easiest cephalopod to clean. Though all are relatively easy to prepare (see video above), so it’s worth buying whole fresh products rather than frozen, already cleaned, imported ones.
‘Calamari’ is the Italian word for ‘squids’, and the two words are often used interchangeably. In Australia however, calamari refers specifically to those species of squid with long side fins, running the full length of their bodies, as opposed to squid with relatively shorter side fins. These long-finned calamari (such as southern calamari) are often more tender than other squid.
