Chocolate Covered Squid - Valentine's Day Candy From the Sea

What better way to say "I heart you" on Valentines Day then with chocolate covered squid?

I happened to be cooking some squid today and realized that in just a few simple steps I could make some really awesome and super romantic squid chocolates. It took only a minute to boil the squid and then just a few more minutes to coat them in a delicious spicy chocolate mixture. I actually ended up eating my seafood chocolates instead of giving them to my valentine, but its probably for the best, because I don't think squid travel very well in the mail system.

Step 1 Recipe

Covering squid in chocolate is actually pretty easy and quick.

The Squid

Instructables gourmet chef and experimentor Canida let me use some extra squid she happened to have. You can buy squid at some super markets and at most fish stores. Squid are cheap, so these one of a kind chocolates won't cost a bundle unlike some other "seafood" chocolates out there on the market. If you get them pre-cleaned it will save you some time.

Each chocolate is made from the tentacles of one squid. You can cut the body of the squid up into little rounds to make more. I got two sets of squid tentacles from Canida and one squid body section so I made three squid chocolates in total.

I took my squid bits and threw them into some boiling water for a minute or two. Cook your squid however you like. I didn't want to impart too much flavor onto the squid during the cooking process so I thought boiling them would be a good route. The squid cook really fast, so as soon as you see them turning white and firming up its time to take them out of the water and let them cool.

The Chocolate

I made my chocolate sauce by melting half a chocolate bar spiced with chili together with about a tablespoon of butter. You can use heavy cream here if you like, or just use the chocolate straight, but I find that diluting it with something helps it flow better. Higher chocolate to butter ratios will yield thicker chocolate while lower ones will make the sauce thinner. I chose to use about twice as much chocolate as butter.

Put the chocolate mixture into the microwave and cook it in 15 second bursts, stirring in between, until the butter and the chocolate are melted. Remove the sauce and stir it until everything is mixed together evenly.

Comments

[the dashing hero]

nom, seafood and chocolate, my favorite things together

[BtheBike]

i think these are actually octopi , not cuttlefish .

[violentorchid]

Yes they are octipi, but cuttle fish are not the same thing as squid. They are all three distinctly different species.

[BtheBike]

right , it harder to tell without the heads . the term 'squid' and 'cuttlefish' are often interchanged in Hawaiian cuisine due to more similar head shape,but since small 'tako' (octopus) is usually ate with head on ,its hard to mistake.

i've had interesting confrontations with each of them in various sizes =}

[flyingfox567]

i went deep sea fishing last summer and used squid as bait.
i didnt catch anything but my bro caught like 15 fish

[sherrycayheyhey]

I went fishing with squid and caught an octopus! I wondered if it was semi-cannibalism but I guess they are different enough haha. I also used the same piece of squid to catch seriously like 7 fish, I just kept removing the hook and the bait was there ready to go.

[Celine1107]

Just a question....... how does it taste???
Its a interesting idea... what made you think to try it?!

[DrHoppe]

I just vomited a little. I'm curious, what ever made you think to combine seafood and chocolate?

Very creative though! I just think I will stick with my fried squid (aka calamari).

[AussieAnglerGal]

DRHoppe, i just did the same thing

interesting idea, but totally bizzare

[studleylee]

I'm sorta with you. Cephalopods are too intelligent to eat imo. Maybe Humbolt, those things will eat you first.

[Megrathea69]

I suppose you could do the same with jellied eels

[RaNDoMLeiGH]

A friend of mine used to say, "chocolate and garlic both go with many things, some of the same things, even. But never at the same time."

That chili chocolate had better be very, very dry to pair with squid. And I still can't grok it. I think it's the tentacular part. What wine would you serve with this? I'm thinking a dry zinfandel or even a champagne.

I would try them if someone else made them. Now the chili chocolate bananas... that sounds pretty good.

[chicopluma]

the squid doesn`t has much flavor anyway, so it must be like the chocolate with the squid rubery, i would like to try it and more if the chocolate is spicy

[legless]

I'm afraid the "be nice" policy prevents me from commenting too much on this one. I love squid and I love chocolate but not happening in the same mouthful. For me chocolate is a sweet (not savoury) taste only so not mixing it with savoury foods or any kind of seafood. Why not chocolate coated oysters?

[Chrysla]

Did you not notice the line "a chocolate bar spiced with CHILI?" This chocolate is infused with chili. This makes it a beautiful SAVORY accompaniment to many things. Many of my friends were in your boat - only liking chocolate in a sweet context until I made them try some spicy chili chocolate. They were dubious, but because they tried it, many of them found they LOVED it! Don't know if I would like it with the squid - but I would certainly try it before I made my mind up. At least give chili chocolate a try...

[legless]

Yep tried the chilli chocolate thing and don't like it though I like chilli and chocolate separately. So yes I notice what it was and it makes no difference. Chilli with squid - yes. Chocolate with squid - no.

[spark master]

Actually I worked in a few high end restaurants back in the 90's and adding hot to chocoalte does't work for me, hot sweet, hot fruit sweet , is fine especailly on dead animals, fer sure. Chocoalte on Fish , sorry, chocolate on Chicken, nope.

Tried sushi many times, but it was not appealing. Cocoa on dead animal (not chocolate) can work , but as good as it could be, it still isn't going to work (for me), as well as tomato or reduced stock herbs and maybe cream. You could finish a veal stock sauce with vanilla icream (assuming you already flambe'd a good double shot of brandy). The vanilla will blend nicely with the booze. You can use vanilla rum/vodka for sauces as well.

enjoy the ocipus

[DELETED_jorgegunn]

ohh my gosh there is this dish i cant pronounce or spell but its basicaly spicy chocolate chicken. Its a baked chicken with a spicey rub on it and then has this cocolate gravy with cyanne, chilli and cumin in it. Ohh my it is so delesiousous. I think the savory aspect only really works with a darker chocolate with a lower sugar content. Chocolate itself isnt sweet and unsweetened is my fav way to eat in general so the only part of this recipie i fing allarming is the idea of putting a squid in my mouth in general im not very adventurous in that notion. But dark choolate coated sharp cheader is good as well as noodles with peanut and chocolate sauce mmm umm

[spark master]

what you are looking for is MOLE sauce, and it is ok given a choice I would use tomato, and both cocoa and tomato come from SA one would think they would have come up with tomato sauce on their own. NOT

Some people believe Chinese invented spaghetti , except that was disproved about 10 years ago when they found pasta making implements including a guitar (for making thin noodles like spaghetti) in Northern Italy. But assuming it came from china 2,000 years ago they had to wait for an Italian to "Discover America" and bring back tomatoes, then another 200 years for a Sicilian to make the sauce. And into a nice Marinara is where these babies should go. If my valintine gave me this I would vomit on her!

[DELETED_jorgegunn]

hmm maybe but the dish with chicken is something else hmm. However i agree with the last sentiment i was just saying that some savory food can include chocolate and the only way to eat chocolate is dark. Well you can eat it the other way but dark chocolate is like a fine wine it just dosent screw up your liver as bad.

[legless]

Not a big fan of dark chocolate to just eat on its own. It is OK but tends to be more bitter than other kinds. I just do not like bitter chocolate. As for the "fine wine" analogy, I don't like wine of any kind; fine or otherwise. as for the "liver" issue - that's rubbish.

[DELETED_jorgegunn]

Hmm Rubbish? good show my man.

[spark master]

We must agree to disagree. while mole works it is not so earth shatteringly delish, it is mearly ok . I have had it homemade as well as commercially made it is ehh ok. But termater sauce is much nicer. Can it be used, absolutely, is it worth it, only if there are no other options. Like sushi , can I eat raw fish, sure would I nope, why there are better ways. Healthier and tastier as well. But mole like sushi is an aquired taste if you find you like it, so be it, enjoy, but do not bring over here.

as far as chocolate goes milk chocolate rules and dark is less luxurious. Replacing wine I think not, and it does not ever give the buzz booze does, ever. If it does then you must have zero tolerance for the effects of alcohol, while being super sensative to the efects of mild caffeine and whatever is in chocolate. If you want the antioxidants and not the spirits then drink grapejuice (just eat lots of fresh concord grapes). Add to that a healthy glass of pomegranite and eat black/blue/black ras- berries and lotsa cherries and apples (with the skins always).

now break out the termaters and onion and garlic and get moving on some fresh octopii, and no whining (although with cheese...) have a nice big fruit salad to start, and end it with a proper hot chocoalte (you may use dark, chuckle)

ciao

[twhaley]

Squid and chocolate, two tastes that go great together. " Hey, you got squid in my chocolate!" " No, you got chocolate on my squid!"

[skyterra47]

squid mole, hmmm i think this sounds really good considering squid os one of the only seafoods i will eat. and mole is amazing, especially on chicken. i will try this, with a calamari spaghetti to go with it (replace meatballs with red spaghetti sauce with squid pieces and spaghetti sauce... cook the squid just like this. AMAZING!)

[XaviaPhoenix]

I'm notorious for eating odd things... I would be thrilled to get these for a valentine's day candy. I might try making this to find fellow freaky eaters in my area.

[legless]

Don't think it's going to keep long enough to end them or deliver them to you. You'd need to be there right at the pot I think. More than 20 - 30 minutes after cooking the squid I wouldn't trust eating them.

[gotclawz1]

these look fab but i must say squid goes bad quite fast after being cooked, i myself have had food poisoning from squid that was only a few hours old

[legless]

You ate squid that had been cooked hours earlier or caught hours earlier? Either way not good if the squid wasn't kept properly. I personally love squid but cooked and eaten right away only.

Choc coated though - don't think so.

[iminthebathroom]

This one has me torn... love it but ew, but maybe... awesome either way

[C18H21NO4]

Where do I find squid?

[Azayles]

Under the sea
Under the sea
There you will find it
If you don't mind it
Take it from me!

Squid are the ones which taste so good
Try them with chocolate, you really should
Dip them in Dagoba
Nothing is better
Under the sea!

[PikeMinnow]

WIN

[maven]

Try markets that cater to or have large Oriental or Mexican populations in the States. I can get frozen squid in Walmart in Tx.

[akufelicia]

surely it's very easy to find in the market, try to go to your nearest store

[Simplex4051]

Dude, flipping brilliant. This also works with smoked salmon, and/or candied salmon. Octopus also works good, because the tentacles have a nice, slightly sweet flavour.

[maven]

You could try Vietnamese dried squid (Can Tho?) for longer lasting candies. It's kinda like squid jerky. Salty, chewy, and very ocean-y.

[KwartzKitten]

Even for people who are squeamish about eating squid, this looks more like fancy molded chocolate, which may help.

[rubberducky47]

These are BEAUTIFUL!

[geodez]

*licks lips*