Stephen Scott Gross / New York Times News Service

If you are a calamari fan and you also care about choosing sustainable seafood, look no further. Get thee to a fishmonger and buy some squid. It won’t set you back much; a pound of squid costs only a few dollars. By rights, something that tastes so good should cost a lot more.

At the fish stand, a gorgeous pile of fresh squid, pinky-purple speckled skin glistening and eyes bright, is a sight to behold. I always think fresh is better, but frozen squid is a perfectly good option, if not as picturesque.

Most people buy squid already cleaned and ready to cook anyway. This means it has been gutted, scraped and rinsed, then divided into bodies (or tubes) and tentacles, both of which are delicious. Make sure to get some of each.

Squid is adaptable, willing to take on nearly any sort of seasoning, whether a simple olive oil-garlic-herb marinade or a complex spiced one.

The general rule of squid cookery: Cook it briefly over high heat to keep it tender. Use a wok or sauté pan for a quick stir-fry, or batter the squid for deep or shallow frying. Or try squid grilled over hot coals.

Though classic fried calamari with marinara sauce is tempting, it may be best experienced in a rowdy tavern. At home, with cocktails or pinot grigio, you may want to serve fried squid with a hit of Chinese five-spice powder for a change of pace, so tasty it needs only a squeeze of lime.

The secret to great home frying is to keep the oil at the proper temperature and to never crowd the pan.

Another great high-heat method is roasting squid whole in a hot oven, seasoned and drizzled with olive oil. As it roasts, the squid crisps and browns a bit here and there in a lovely way.