Marinated Octopus Recipes

ZUK'S GRILLED OCTOPUS SALAD

Steps:

• Combine the poaching liquid ingredients in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Add the octopus, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until tender, 1 to 1½ hours. The meat is done when you can cut the thickest part of the tentacle with a butter knife. Remove from the poaching liquid and let the octopus cool for 15 minutes. Using your hands or a clean dishtowel, remove all the skin.
• Combine the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the octopus, tossing to coat. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Combine the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, capers, olives, and raisins in a medium bowl. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
• Light a charcoal fire or preheat your gas grill on high. Oil the grill's cooking surface.
• Remove the octopus from the marinade, letting the excess drain back into the bowl. Discard the marinade. Season the octopus with salt and pepper and place on the grill. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes total, turning so that all the sides get slightly golden and crispy.
• Remove to a cutting board, then cut the tentacles at an angle into ½-inch-thick pieces. Toss with the salad dressing. Add the arugula, radicchio, and basil, tossing well to combine. Serve immediately.

SPANISH OCTOPUS

Steps:

• Place chopped onion, garlic cloves, bay leaf, paprika, salt, and 1 tablespoon olive oil into saucepan. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until onions start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add white wine to create the braising liquid. Bring to a simmer.
• Transfer octopus into braising liquid, turning to coat with the liquid. Cover; reduce heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes and turn octopus over. Continue cooking until octopus is tender, another 40 to 45 minutes.
• Remove from heat; transfer octopus to a large bowl. Pour braising liquid over octopus. Place bowl above a bowl of ice water to cool to room temperature.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap when octopus and liquid are cool. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Transfer octopus to a work surface and mop off braising juices with paper towels; remove as much of the purple skin as you want. Cut octopus into 3 or 4 serving-size pieces. Brush with olive oil.
• Transfer braising liquid to saucepan. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Strain out solids; transfer liquid to a mixing bowl; let cool about 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, parsley, salt, and cayenne pepper to make the serving sauce.
• Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to high heat. Transfer octopus pieces to grill. Cook until flesh is seared, almost charred, 3 or 4 minutes. Turn and cook other side until dark brown, caramelized, and heated through, another 3 or 4 minutes. Transfer to a platter.
• Slice octopus into fairly thick diagonal slices. Place on a serving dish. Spoon braising liquid mixture over the top. Dust with a bit of cayenne pepper, if desired.

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.

GREEK MARINATED OCTOPUS IN OIL AND VINEGAR

Steps:

• Gather the ingredientsl.
• Under running water, remove and discard the ink sac, stomach, and eyes from the large head cavity of the octopus bodies. (if you're squeamish, wear rubber gloves). Remove the beak, at the bottom of the head where it joins the tentacles, with a sharp knife.
• Place the whole octopus in a pot with enough boiling water to cover generously. When it resumes boiling, cook for 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and drain. When cool enough to handle, rub the octopus with your hands under running water to remove the dark outer membrane. This comes off fairly easily, and if it doesn't all come off, that's all right.
• Place the octopus in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, seal, and when pressure is reached, lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes. If using an Instant Pot, use quick pressure release, remove the octopus, and drain in a colander. Reserve the cooking water in the pressure cooker.
• When the octopus is cool enough to handle, cut it into bite-size pieces.
• Place the octopus pieces into a bowl with 3 1/2 ounces of reserved cooking water saved from the pressure cooker, 3 1/2 ounces of vinegar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and mix well. This should be enough to completely cover the octopus; if it doesn't, make a little more marinade.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 to 6 hours before serving.
• To serve, remove the octopus from the marinade (which may become slightly gel-like), drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with oregano. As a side dish, marinated octopus goes well with fakes ( lentil soup ), perhaps some cauliflower, and Greek olives. As a meze (appetizer), it's perfect with ouzo.

MARINATED OCTOPUS

Steps:

• Wash the octopus inside and out in cold water and place in a large kettle. Add the bay leaves and 1 tablespoon salt and cover with cold water. Heat to boiling over medium-high flame. Simmer over medium heat until the thick part of a tentacle can easily be sliced, about 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and cool the octopus in the water for 1 hour.
• While the octopus cools, prepare the marinade: combine the olive oil, 6 tablespoons lemon juice, parsley, chopped capers, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Whisk until creamy and set aside.
• Lift the octopus into a colander in a sink and rinse each tentacle under cold water while rubbing off the skin and suckers. Cut off the tentacles and reserve; turn the body inside out and rinse well.
• Dissolve the gelatin in 1/2 cup boiling water and stir in 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Stir in 1/2 cup cold water. Place the tentacles of one octopus in a rectangular terrine and pour the gelatin mixture over it. Refrigerate until set, about an hour.
• Slice the remaining tentacles and bodies into bite-size pieces and place them in the bowl of marinade. Toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
• To serve, invert molded tentacles onto a platter and slice. Arrange the bowl of marinated octopus alongside, garnish with the oregano and extra capers. Serve with olives and sun-dried tomatoes.

MARINATED OCTOPUS

Steps:

• Place octopus in a large pan with plenty of water and boil for 2 hours.
• Remove from heat; wash and remove the skin.
• Cut in desired size pieces.
• In a bowl, combine all the ingredients, except the lemon juice, and add octopus.
• Mix well; cover; and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
• When ready to serve, stir in the lemon juice.

MARINATED OCTOPUS SALAD

Steps:

• Slice the octopus into one-inch pieces and put them in a bowl. Add the onion, celery, capers and olives and mix.
• Mix the oil, vinegar and salt and pepper together. Pour over the octopus mixture and toss lightly. Allow to marinate at room temperature at least an hour.
• Just before serving, fold in the parsley and check seasoning. Serve on a bed of arugula.

MARINATED OCTOPUS

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, place the octopus, cork, peppercorns, carrots, onion, garlic head, fennel, celery, and bay leaves. Cover with cold water. Bring to a light boil and then keep at the barest simmer for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the octopus is tender. Place the entire pot in the refrigerator and allow the octopus to cool in the liquid.
• When cool, remove the octopus from the liquid, discarding the liquid. Cut into 1-inch chunks, including the head. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• In a large bowl, combine the lemon juice and olive oil. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the lemon(s) and orange in large strips and add to the bowl. Slice the shallot into rings and add to the bowl with the sliced garlic and chile flakes. Add the octopus chunks and toss to coat. Allow to marinate at room temperature for about 1 hour, stirring about every 10 minutes to mingle the flavors. Serve at room temperature.

GRILLED OCTOPUS IN RED WINE MARINADE

Steps:

• In a large casserole combine octopus, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, salt, pepper, thyme, red wine and water. Bring to a slow boil and simmer 45 minutes, or until octopus is very tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from heat and let octopus cool in its broth.
• Set aside 1 1/3 cups of broth for sauce. When octopus is cool enough to handle, remove it from broth and rub it well to remove purplish skin. Rinse tentacles in broth as they are cleaned. Drain octopus and transfer to a large bowl.
• Make marinade: in a small bowl combine marinade ingredients. Pour over octopus and toss to coat. Marinate, covered and refrigerated, for at least 24 hours, and up to 3 days.
• Make sauce: in a small saucepan combine strained reserved broth, olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar. Reduce by half over high heat. Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir in parsley. Keep warm.
• Prepare a charcoal broiler. Drain tentacles and pat dry. Grill 4 minutes, turning frequently, until lightly charred and heated through. Serve 2 tentacles per person, with sauce spooned over, garnished with parsley and lemon wedges.