How to make squid in its ink: traditional recipe step by step

At AnchoasDeluxe, I always say there are dishes that smell like real cooking, bread waiting on the table, and spoons ready not to leave a single drop of sauce behind. And squid in its ink is one of them. When it is well made, it has something very special: a deep, glossy sauce, full of sea flavour and that homemade touch that is hard to forget. It is not a complicated recipe, but it is one of those that truly rewards care, time, and good ingredients. If you would also like to discover a ready-to-enjoy version or take inspiration from a beautifully executed gourmet reference, you can have a look at this stuffed squid in its ink.

In this article, I want to explain how I prepare it when I am looking for a traditional result, with a full-bodied sauce, tender squid, and that balance between intensity and elegance that people love so much. We will go step by step, without unnecessary complications, so that you can make truly delicious squid in its ink at home. And if you feel like exploring this product further in other formats, you can also discover our category of preserved squid.

Ingredients for making traditional squid in its ink

A good squid in its ink recipe starts long before the heat goes on. It starts when you buy the ingredients. Because there is not much to hide behind here: if the squid is good and the rest of the ingredients support it, the dish comes out beautifully. If the base fails, the sauce may be acceptable, but it will never have the depth we are after.

Which squid to choose and how to clean it properly

My advice is very clear: if you can, choose small or medium fresh squid, firm and bright. These are the ones that give the best texture and work best both in the simple version and in the stuffed one. When you touch them, they should feel firm, look glossy, and smell clean, never harsh.

To clean them properly:

• Carefully separate the head from the body.
• Keep the tentacles and, if they are in good condition, the fins as well.
• Remove the transparent quill from the inside.
• Peel off the outer skin if you want a finer finish, although it is not essential.
• Keep the ink sacs carefully if they come intact and are usable.

After that, rinse them only briefly and dry them well. It may sound like a minor detail, but it really matters: if they go into the casserole too wet, they do not brown properly and the sauce loses concentration.

What you need for a deeply flavourful ink sauce

The sauce is the soul of the dish. And here, for me, there is one basic rule: the ink alone is not enough. You need to build flavour from the very beginning.

The ingredients that work best in a traditional version are:

• Onion, as the sweet, slow base of the sofrito.
• Garlic, to add depth without taking over.
• Green pepper, if you like a rounder, more homely background.
• Tomato in a small amount, just to support, not to dominate.
• White wine or a touch of brandy, to lift the whole dish.
• Fish stock or a gentle fumet, much better than water if you want more flavour.
• Squid ink, properly dissolved so that it blends in smoothly.

I always recommend not overloading it with ingredients that create too much noise. This is a dish with marine, elegant, dark flavour. Everything else should work for the squid, not take the spotlight away from it.

How to make squid in its ink step by step

Once you have the squid cleaned and the base ready, the rest is about order. Not speed. Squid in its ink comes out much better when you cook it calmly and let each stage do its work.

How to prepare the sofrito and the sauce

I always start here, because a good sauce needs a well-worked base.

1. Poach the onion and garlic. In a wide casserole, add olive oil and cook the very finely chopped onion with the garlic over a medium-low heat. If you are using pepper, add it here too.
2. Give the sofrito time. Do not rush it. The onion should become very soft, almost silky. That is where the serious flavour of the dish begins.
3. Add the tomato. Very little, just enough to round things out. Let it lose its water and blend in.
4. Deglaze with white wine. Raise the heat slightly and let the alcohol evaporate.
5. Add the ink. Dissolve it separately in a little stock so that no lumps remain, then add it to the sofrito.
6. Add the stock. Just enough so that the sauce has body, not so much that the dish turns into soup.

At this point, if you want a finer sauce, you can blend it and strain it. I sometimes do that when I want a more elegant presentation. Other times I leave it as it is, more rustic and home-style. Both options are good if the flavour has been properly built.

SEE PRESERVED SQUID

How to stuff the squid if you want to make the traditional version

The stuffed version is the most classic one and, honestly, one of the most beautiful when it is well made. It takes a little more time, but it is worth it.

For the filling, I use:

• the squid tentacles and fins, finely chopped
• a little very soft onion
• finely chopped garlic
• sometimes a little bread crumb or chopped boiled egg, depending on the style of recipe

Everything is lightly sautéed together for a few minutes, left to cool slightly, and then used to fill the squid bodies without packing them too tightly. This is important: if you overfill them, they will burst while cooking. Then they are closed with a cocktail stick and added carefully to the sauce so that they finish cooking slowly.

If you do not want to complicate things, you can make them without filling and they will still be delicious. But if you are after that more traditional, more Sunday-style version, the filling makes all the difference.

Tips for keeping the squid tender and juicy

This is one of the key points of the dish. Well-cooked squid should be tender, juicy, and pleasant to bite into. Never rubbery, never dry. And that depends above all on time and heat.

Cooking time and mistakes to avoid

With squid, there is a kind of unwritten rule: either you cook it very briefly or you cook it long enough for it to soften again. In a recipe like this, where it cooks in sauce, I clearly prefer the second option.

My recommendations are these:

• Do not sear it too much at the beginning, because it can then toughen more easily.
• Cook it over a gentle heat, without an aggressive boil.
• Give it time, usually between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on the size and quantity.
• Do not stir roughly, especially if the squid is stuffed.

The most common mistake is trying to speed things up. And honestly, this dish does not reward that. When you give it time, the sauce becomes rounder and the squid becomes much more pleasant in the mouth.

How to thicken the sauce without losing intensity

The ink sauce should be unctuous, but never heavy. It needs to coat the squid properly and leave flavour behind, not feel like a cream with no soul.

To thicken it well, I prefer these options:

• Reduce it patiently, which is the best method.
• Blend part of the sofrito, if you want more natural body.
• Add a small amount of bread crumb, only if needed and without overdoing it.

I try to avoid thickeners that kill the flavour or leave an artificial texture. This dish needs intensity, not a sauce bulked up for no reason. Better less quantity and more truth.

Variations of the squid in its ink recipe

One of the beautiful things about this recipe is that, although it has a very clear base, it allows for nuances depending on the region, the household, or personal taste. And that does not make it worse, it makes it richer.

Basque-style squid in its ink

The Basque version usually goes for a finer, more elegant, and deeper sauce, with a very well-worked sofrito and a great deal of respect for the product. Many times, it avoids too many additions and focuses on letting the flavour of the squid and the ink speak clearly.

If you are looking for that style, I would recommend:

• using a very well-poached sofrito
• blending and straining the sauce
• being very restrained with the tomato
• serving it with white rice or good bread, with no extra decoration

It is a cleaner, more restrained, and very gastronomic version. The kind that seems simple, but when it is done well, it stays in your memory.

Stuffed squid in its ink

This is the most traditional version in many homes. More complete, more festive, and for me especially attractive if you want to show off a little more.

Because it is stuffed, the dish gains texture and that sense of real home cooking. It also lets you make better use of the squid itself and build a more rounded bite. The important thing here is not to overload the filling and to keep the balance, so that the flavour of the sea remains in charge.

If you feel like using a well-executed version as a point of reference, you can take a look at this stuffed squid in its ink, which represents this idea of a beautifully made classic dish very well.

How to serve squid in its ink and what to serve with it

Once ready, squid in its ink asks for a simple but well-thought-out table. You do not need much else if the dish is good.

The sides that work best, for me, are these:

• White rice, because it absorbs the sauce and allows the squid to remain the star.
• Good bread, almost essential, because this sauce deserves to be wiped up properly.
• Boiled or steamed potatoes, if you want a softer, more home-style version.
• A fresh white wine or even a light red, if you enjoy that contrast.

When it comes to serving, I like to bring it out very hot, with the sauce glossy and well bound. If the squid is stuffed, even better to present it whole so that it looks more impressive. If not, a good casserole in the centre of the table and bread nearby is more than enough. Because this is one of those dishes that, when it is made properly, does not need grand decoration: it needs appetite and a willingness to dip.

And if there is one thing I love about this recipe, it is exactly that: it remains a serious, flavourful dish with identity. One of those that never goes out of style because, when it is cooked well, it always finds its place at the table.