Octopus - Boiled and Charred

By á-31592

How to Prepare and Cook Octopus

Ingredients

• Ingredients:
• Get Your Octopus
• us at all, try calling your local fish market — even if they don’t stock it regularly, they may be able order it for you.
• Prep Your Octopus
• e accordingly.
• Cook Your Octopus
• to have to do is heat up a pot of water, put your octopus in it, and wait.
• 26 26 Corner Taverna Grilled or Broiled Octopus
• (From Queens: A Culinary Passport, adapted from Frideriki Bletsas)
• 1 1 to 5-pound) to 5-pound) octopus, cleaned
• 4 to 5 4 to 5 5 garlic cloves
• 2 2 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 1 1 lemon, halved
• 3 1/2 3 1/2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 2 2 large tomatoes, sliced
• 2 2 2 large cucumbers, peeled (optional) and sliced
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar, as needed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed

Preparation

Step 1

Using either a knife or kitchen shears, remove each tentacle from the octopus head. Discard the head, and cut the tentacles into a few pieces.
Add octopus to a large Dutch oven or a heavy-duty large pot, and cover with water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Cover, and reduce to medium-low to low heat so liquid is simmering. Let octopus cook for 2 to 3 hours until very tender. (To check, remove an octopus tentacle and cut it with a knife.)
Remove octopus tentacles from liquid, transfer to a container, and drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over it. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, add tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion. Drizzle with vinegar, remaining 1½ tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper, tossing to combine.
Cut octopus tentacles into pieces, and grill until slightly charred (just a few minutes per side). If you don’t have a grill, warm a large nonstick sauté pan over high heat with ½ tablespoon olive oil and sauté until octopus is warmed and slightly charred, a few minutes per side.
Divide salad between the plates and top with octopus. Serve.

– Rachel Sugar