Since a good octopus dish, means tender octopus, you do need to boil it first.
For the best result, start with the boiling or poaching method above, allowing the octopus to cook slowly and cool down before searing in a pan. Add your whole tentacles to an oiled pan for about 8 minutes per side, or pre-slice your tentacles into thinner pieces and cook for 2 minutes per side for a perfect finish.
Grilling fresh octopus is a simple way to make this ingredient shine. A braise in boiling water beforehand will tenderize the meat and make it ready to absorb any marinade. The char of the grill amps up its taste and its tender-yet-chewy texture, making octopus a versatile appetizer, side dish, or main.
Do I Need To Boil Baby Octopus Before Frying? You can definitely fry baby octopus without boiling first, but there are some benefits to this extra step. Boiling helps to tenderize the meat while removing any impurities. If you choose to boil them, do so for 10 to 15 minutes and then rinse with cold water before frying.
Grilling is the easiest step of all. Toss the octopus, whether whole or divided into tentacles, with some olive oil and load it onto a cleaned and preheated grill, directly over hot coals. The tentacles will take on an appealing charred appearance and flavor, and the thins ends will char and get a little crispy.
The most basic way of cooking octopus is to simmer it in liquid. Fill a saucepan with salted water and bring to the boil. Add the octopus, reduce the heat immediately and simmer gently for 45–60 minutes. It's important that the water is turned down to a gentle simmer once the octopus is in the pan.
So try this instead. Blanch the unbrined octopus arms for 30 seconds in boiling water, cook them in a covered dry pan in a 200-degree oven for four or five hours or until tender, and cool them slowly in their own juices.
Cook until octopus is tender enough that you can pierce the thick part of a tentacle with a paring knife with little resistance, about 1 hour; keep in mind that this time is a rough estimate, and the octopus may be done sooner or it may take longer, but it will get there. Let octopus cool in the cooking water.
The best way to cook the frozen octopus is to throw it directly into the pan with little water and season it once cooked with chopped parsley, oil and salt. Even the cast iron plate allows you to cook the frozen octopus optimally giving it a tasty crunchy texture.
But for most preparations, long, slow cooking, which yields a tender texture, is best. (If you cook it too long, it becomes dry and tasteless.)
The simplest way to enjoy our fully cooked octopus is to briefly marinate the pieces in olive oil, lemon, a little garlic, rosemary, thyme, or the fresh herbs of your choice. After just 30 minutes the octopus will take on the flavor and can be served as is with olives, feta cheese, sliced onions, or on a bed of greens.
Octopus is rich in many essential vitamins and minerals, making it an ideal choice for your seafood palette. Specifically, a serving of octopus is high in vitamin B12, potassium, iron, magnesium, and certain fatty acids.
The initial blanching in hot water tenderises the meat, then poaching the octopus in the vinegar's acidity breaks down any toughness, and the job is completed by marinating the cooked octopus in more vinegar before serving.
When the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, bay leaves and smoked paprika and cook for 2 minutes. Add the whole octopus and some sea salt and black pepper. Put the lid on and cook for 1 hour, or until the octopus is tender. To check, insert a knife into a tentacle; it should cut through with ease.
Actually, the way I tenderise octopus is to freeze it overnight. Most octopus you buy come frozen so no need. But if you are lucky enough to get fresh octopus, freezing it overnight or for a few days will break down it's proteins and help tenderise the meat.
Octopus muscles are full of collagen and they release a lot of gelatin, which if not drawn out from the muscles can leave the octopus rubbery and gelatinous. Use more water than you need to draw out as much of the excess gelatin as possible.
For large octopus (around 5 pounds), boil for a good 8 to 10 minutes. Add a tablespoon of vinegar into the simmering liquid as the acetic acid can help break down the connective tissue in the tentacles. Marinate the octopus overnight in whole milk to help tenderize the meat.
I always boil it first, then let it cool down to room temperature and quickly grill it, so it gets a nice char. Then I season it with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dried oregano, fresh parsley and garlic (optional).
The trick to making octopus tender? Soak it in milk, preferably overnight. It's so much easier than boiling it with herbs for an hour and smelling up the house.
You can find frozen octopus tentacles already cooked. After processing, the octopus tentacles are cooked and graded by size, packed individually on a tray, and finally frozen.
Octopus can be prepared boiled or fried, or in other forms such as sushi. Although the skin and suckers are edible, some people choose to remove them through a process called peeling as these parts can be very chewy and hard to eat.