Grilled Octopus With Ancho Chile Sauce Recipes

GRILLED OCTOPUS

Steps:

• Fill a large pot 1/2 full with water. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt, peppercorns, and the wine cork; bring to a boil over high heat.
• Meanwhile, place octopus on a cutting board. Using a wooden spoon or meat mallet, pound the octopus multiple times, starting in the middle and moving down each tentacle to tenderize the meat.
• Dip tentacles into the boiling water 3 times, holding them in the boiling water 2 to 3 seconds each time, until the tentacles curl up. Submerge entire octopus in the boiling water. Bring water back to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until octopus is fork-tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 30 minutes.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Grill octopus until charred on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• Remove from heat, slice into pieces, and place on a serving platter. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, squeeze lemon over top, sprinkle with parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

GRILLED OCTOPUS

Steps:

• Combine octopus, bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic and 1 lemon, cut in half, in saucepan along with water to cover. Turn heat to medium, cover, and bring to boil. Adjust heat so that liquid simmers slowly, and cook until octopus is tender, for 30 to 90 minutes, depending on whether you're using two smaller octopuses or 1 larger one (check for doneness with point of sharp knife). Drain, discarding everything but octopus. (You can prepare this 24 hours in advance up to this point; cover, and refrigerate octopus.) Set aside.
• Start charcoal or wood fire, or preheat gas grill; fire should be quite hot. Grill rack about 4 inches from heat source. Cut octopus into large serving pieces, brush it with half the olive oil, and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Grill it quickly until outside browns but inside is not dried out. Cut remaining lemon into wedges.
• Brush octopus with remaining olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges, hot or at room temperature, garnished with parsley.

GRILLED OCTOPUS WITH ANCHO CHILE SAUCE

Steps:

• Step 1 Prepare the octopus Preheat the oven to 300°. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil. Add half of the octopus and cook over moderately high heat, turning, until lightly browned all over, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining octopus.
• Step 2 Add the shallots and garlic to the casserole and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the pimentón and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Carefully add the sherry and bring to a boil. Return the octopus to the casserole, cover and braise in the oven until very tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let the octopus cool completely in the liquid.
• Step 3 Meanwhile, make the sauce In a medium saucepan, toast the chiles over moderate heat, turning, until fragrant and pliable, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vinegar, honey and garlic and bring just to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let stand until the chiles are softened, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. With the machine on, gradually add the grapeseed oil until incorporated. Season the ancho chile sauce with salt.
• Step 4 Remove the octopus from the liquid. Using a paper towel, wipe the purple skin off the tentacles, leaving the suckers intact. Cut the head in half. Discard the braising liquid.
• Step 5 Light a grill or preheat a grill pan and brush with canola oil. Grill the octopus over high heat, turning, until lightly charred all over, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and immediately brush with some of the ancho chile sauce. Serve with the jicama salad, passing the remaining sauce at the table.