Grilled octopus is amazing. I have bought prepared baby octopus to add to a seafood salad, ordered grilled with potatoes and greens and had an amazing octopus taco. But, I have yet to try preparing it at home from raw source.
Where do I start? Defrosting, then…
Rooster🦑
@Rooster asian markets have frozen octopus that’s not too expensive. Freezing tenderizes them, so it’s acfualy a positive.
I didnt realize that. Does that mean no additional tenderizing is needed?
Well you have to cook them… a PC makes easy work of it.
But freezing is one of several tenderizing alternatives for fresh octopus.
Just to be clear, if you freeze the octopus, you can forego the PC and get the same results?
You could, and if you still use it (I do) you have to be careful not to overcook it because it’s already been tenderized by freezing.
I love it grilled!
If I’ve cooked it at home, I start with Spanish (Galician) style first - with boiled octopus, boiled potatoes, smoked paprika, and lots of olive oil.
Then on to other twice-cooked versions.
This korean-ish sauce that makes for a nice change once in a while (you can boil the octopus first vs. their directions):
I’ve only cooked it at home a few times, so I’m no expert. But I’m a boil and then grill type of person for my octopus.
Thanks for these links.
Me too
It just takes a little time
We love octopus, squids in all its form.
Usually, I buy them in frozen form from Asian store, they are more reasonable as well as the fact that it is known that freezing them tenderizes them compounded by the fact that they are readily available whenever needed in the freezer
We buy the larger octopus that are cut into strips for grilling ( see serious eats recipe, very simple) but I prefer the flowered ones ( scored) for stir frying in wok as well as cooking as soup in my cataplana. ( just had them last night stir fried with shrimp, snow peas and asparagus etc but had dinner very late almost midnight bec had a late lunch at a sushi place, one order was fried squid) . For frying, my son prefers the baby squids ( short tentacles) dipped in eggs, sweet potato and panko fried in peanut oil but even better, he prefers the ready mixed Korean seafood frying mix when available ( often run out as he took t he last bag to a party last Friday)
One favorite is from my childhood, that would be dried octopus or squid purchased from Asian store, rehydrated, marinaded , then grilled. This is usually served as an appetizer. Remember not to eat too much, eat slowly bec they are chewy but as you chew slowly the flavor becomes enhanced . The Koreans have recipe for frying and grilling that you can try.
Here is a frying mix from amazon but half the price at Asian store
https://www.amazon.com/CJ-Beksul-Korean-Shrimp-Tempura/dp/B00IMUQS8I/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1544546332&sr=8-3-fkmr1&keywords=Korean%2Bseafood%2Bfrying%2Bmix&th=1
Here are recipes for Korean squid octopus
Lots of followup reading to do.
I’ve done it as Thimes and Saregama suggest, and I’ve also done it sous-vide. It always turns out good.
Welcome thread! I’ve done octopus a few times with the boil-and-grill/broil approach. Worked out well. I use a Mediterranean marinade. Hadn’t occurred to me to use the pressure cooker.
I’m not sure what others think, but octopus would count for me as the oddest, most complicated ingredient to cook. I think it’s because there is so much variation in size, origin, and producer preparation.
I’ve done sous vide baby octopus which had very good texture. Been too long to remember the time/temp details
Used to cook it the traditional way but after sous vide I never looked back. Perfectly tender every time, though you must take into account of the size and adjust the time.
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Small ones take much less time.
Pulpo Gallego (Galician-style octopus with paprika) I got in Spain.
I don’t have any plans to buy the machine but those photos sure make me envious of your dining table. Stunning.
I would have a very difficult time killing or eating one. They are such fascinating, intelligent creatures. Don’t get me wrong. I’m an omnivore but these things just capture my imagination. The closest thing to an alien we can come to know on this planet.
@retrospek, I hear ya. Your perspective isn’t wasted on me. Mutual respect is what I aim for. Thanks for the link.
