Everytime I've gotten squid from the store (frozen then thawed), the squid exudes a lot of liquid, even on high heat, no crowding in pan, before t...

I've never noticed an ammonia odor with previously frozen squid that I've bought. I suspect that you have gotten a bad batch. As far as the excessive liquid, I recommend patting the squid dry before cooking. The squid will exude a little bit of water, but by know means should your squid have an ammonia odor.

oops sorry i posted this in wrong window -_-

before you roast/cook the chicken you can dry it out overnight in the fridge (uncovered - tried this for an oven-fried chicken recipe, worked wonderfully), better yet, salt it (that's what I do with pork skin...never try with chicken skin, but figure it will work). But, a cast-iron will be your best tool :) I never fail to crisp any kind of skin with my cast iron pan, without oil.

Like shrimp I tend to completely thaw squid and rinse it well before using it in cooking. For a stirfry I would probably pat them dry with a kitchen towel before cooking too.