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How To Cook Octopus: Borrowed From

Cooking octopus requires gentle simmering to tenderize its tough flesh. Octopus is known by different names in Mediterranean countries where it is consumed, and preparation methods aim to make its flesh more tender through techniques like beating, massaging with salt, or simmering with wine corks. While intimidating, octopus can be simply simmered for 45-60 minutes or prepared in other dishes embracing its springy texture, like carpaccio or takoyaki. Pairing octopus with olive oil, seasoning, and Mediterranean flavors enhances its delicate flavor.

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Denis
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80 views1 page

How To Cook Octopus: Borrowed From

Cooking octopus requires gentle simmering to tenderize its tough flesh. Octopus is known by different names in Mediterranean countries where it is consumed, and preparation methods aim to make its flesh more tender through techniques like beating, massaging with salt, or simmering with wine corks. While intimidating, octopus can be simply simmered for 45-60 minutes or prepared in other dishes embracing its springy texture, like carpaccio or takoyaki. Pairing octopus with olive oil, seasoning, and Mediterranean flavors enhances its delicate flavor.

Uploaded by

Denis
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Cooking octopus might seem intimidating to the under-confident chef but it isn't as complicated

as you might think. It is known as polpo in Italy, pulpo in Spain and oktapodi in Greece.
The Spanish consume the most octopus in Europe but their consumption still falls far behind
the Japanese who are partial to tako – eaten as sushi, sashimi, tako sunomono salad or the
famous street food takoyaki which are fried octopus balls.
The magnificent octopus measures up to 80cm and has eight succulent tentacles which are each a
feast waiting to happen. Octopus flesh is far tougher than the flesh of other cephalopods like
squid or cuttlefish so chefs worldwide have come up with different strategies for tenderising the
flesh. In the Mediterranean, fishermen beat octopuses against rocks; some swear by cooking it in
copper, massaging it with salt or simmering it with wine corks. Some modern chefs have even
been known to bag the beast and pop it in a spin cycle in the washing machine! If handled with a
little care, such extreme techniques shouldn't be necessary – gentle simmering should suffice!

How to cook octopus


If an octopus hasn't already been prepared, consult the Great British Chefs video for instructions
on how to section an octopus.
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. Cooking it too quickly will result in a rubbery texture.

Judge the tenderness of the octopus by pushing a knife into one of the tentacles; if it easily
pushes into the thickest part of the flesh, it's cooked.

Octopus contains a lot of moisture, some of which can be removed by brining or sun-drying to
make the flesh more tender before grilling, barbecuing or pan-frying. Without removing some of
the moisture from the flesh, the octopus will take on a chewy and rubbery texture.

This step isn't always necessary though – some methods embrace the springy texture of octopus
flesh. For example, octopus can be simply marinated and enjoyed in a carpaccio style, used in
sushi or deep-fried in a takoyaki batter for an enjoyable, crunchy texture.
What octopus goes with
Octopus has a very delicate flavour and dressing it with some good olive oil and seasoning it
well is often enough. A popular way of introducing extra flavour is by cooking it over the hot
coals of a barbecue or an ocakbasi grill, introducing a charred, smoky edge.
For inspiration, look to Mediterranean flavours which would typically get paired
with seafood such as lemon, fennel, chopped parsley, tomatoes and white wine.

Borrowed from https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/how-to-cook/how-to-cook-octopus

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