Recipes — octopus

Prep Time

    •    Prep time: 5 minutes
    •    Cook time: 30 minutes
    •    Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

    •    garnish: lemon wedges
    •    1 celery rib (thinly sliced)
    •    4 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
    •    3 tsps fine sea salt (divided)
    •    1 lemon (juiced, about 2 tbsps)
    •    1 garlic clove - minced (Optional)
    •    freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
    •    1 pound Yukon gold potatoes (cleaned)
    •    1/4 tsp red chilli pepper flakes (Optional)
    •    1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves (Optional)
    •    garnish: 4 tbsps finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (plus whole leaves)
    •    1 pound octopus (cleaned, fresh or frozen, frozen is preferable as it will be more tender when cooked)

Method

1. Gather the ingredients.
   
   
2. Place the octopus in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add 2 teaspoons of fine sea salt and bring just to a simmer over medium heat. Let barely simmer over gentle heat just 3 to 5 minutes; the octopus will be moist and have a slight chew. Remove from heat and set aside to let cool.
   
   
3. Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, add 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly.
   
   
4. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
   
   
5. In a medium bowl, toss the still-warm potato slices with the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the parsley and celery and stir to combine.
   
   
6. Cut the octopus into 1-inch chunks and add to the potato mixture. Stir to combine. If using, add the optional garlic, mint, and chili pepper flakes and combine.
   
   
7. Serve at room temperature, each serving accompanied by a lemon wedge and crusty bread.

This great family recipe is thanks to The Spruce Eats Recipes at https://www.thespruceeats.com/octopus-and-potato-salad-2017688

Prep Time

    •    Cook time: 20 minutes
    •    Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

    •    3  1/2 ounces wine vinegar
    •    2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
    •    Garnish: ground Greek oregano
    •    Garnish: extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle
    •    4  1/2 pounds octopus (fresh or frozen and thawed)
    •    2  1/2 ounces cooking water from the pressure cooker

Method

Clean the octopus:

1. Under running water, remove and discard the ink sac, stomach, and eyes from the large head cavity.
   
   
2. Remove the beak, at the bottom of the head where it joins the tentacles, with a sharp knife. (If you're squeamish, wear rubber gloves.)

Boil the octopus:

1. Place the whole octopus in a pot with enough boiling water to cover generously. When it resumes boiling, cook for 10 minutes.
   
   
2. 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.

Pressure cook the octopus:

1. Place the octopus in a pressure cooker with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, seal, and when pressure is reached, lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes.
   
   
2. Use quick pressure release, remove the octopus, and drain in a colander. Save the cooking water in the pressure cooker.
   
   
3. When the octopus is cool enough to handle, cut it into bite-sized morsels. (Cut thicker parts into pieces 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches long, and thinner pieces up to 3 inches long.)

Make the marinade:

1. Place the octopus pieces into a bowl with 3 1/2 ounces cooking water saved from the pressure cooker, 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.
   
   
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 to 6 hours before serving.

Serving:

1. To serve, remove the octopus from the marinade (which may become slightly gel-like), drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano.
   
   
2. 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.

This great family recipe is thanks to the-spruceEats Recipes at https://www.thespruceeats.com/marinated-octopus-greek-style-1705494

Prep Time

    •    Prep time: 30 minutes
    •    Cook time: 3 hours & 30 minutes
    •    Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

    •    1/2 tsp salt
    •    2 to 3 lemons
    •    1/2 cup olive oil
    •    1 tsp black pepper
    •    1 tbsp sweet paprika
    •    1 to 2 pounds octopus
    •    3 chopped garlic cloves

Method

1. Thaw the octopus in the refrigerator for a day or two.
   
   
2. Wash the octopus thoroughly under running water, paying particular attention to the suckers on the tentacles.
   
   
3. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Place the octopus in the pot, cover it and return the water to a boil.
   
   
4. Boil the octopus for 8 minutes.
   
   
5. Take the octopus from the boiling water onto a cutting board and chop off its head. Discard the head for this recipe.
   
   
6. Line a Dutch oven or similar pot with a nest of your choice of Spanish herbs and spices. Possibilities include a combination of oregano, rosemary, garlic, bay leaves, laurel, saffron, sage, tarragon, thyme, basil, or parsley. The octopus meat absorbs the flavors of the herbs and spices.
   
   
7. Nestle the octopus legs into the nest of herbs. Cover and cook for three to four hours at 200 F until tender.
   
   
8. Cut the octopus into chunks and keep warm.

For the paprika sauce:

1. Meanwhile, put the salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic in a mortar and pound it until it is a paste. Slowly add the olive oil, stirring and mashing all the while. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you could use a food processor, but the texture will be different.
2. While the octopus is still warm, put it into a large bowl and toss with the paprika-garlic sauce. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the bowl and toss to combine.
3. Serve warm or at room temperature with slices of lemon.

This great family recipe is thanks to the spruce Eats Recipes at https://www.thespruceeats.com/spanish-braised-octopus-in-paprika-sauce-1300677

Lemon-drenched zucchini brings an Italian accent to flash-fried squid for the perfect quick lunch or light dinner.

Prep Time

    •    Prep time: 15 minutes
    •    Cook time: 5 minutes
    •    Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

    •    4 zucchinis
    •    1 tbsp honey
    •    1kg small squid, cleaned
    •    2 tbsps flaked almonds, toasted
    •    1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
    •    finely pared zest of 1/2 lemon and 1 tbsp juice, plus wedges to serve

Method

1. Separate the squid tubes from the tentacles. Cut open each squid hood, then using a sharp knife, score the inside in a diamond pattern and slice into strips. Remove and discard the beaks from the tentacles and set aside.
   
   
2. Using a vegetable peeler, cut zucchini into long ribbons. Blanch in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain. Set aside.
   
   
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a non-stick frypan over high heat. Cook squid tubes and tentacles, turning, for 1 minute or until just cooked and the tubes curl.
   
   
4. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil with lemon juice and honey, then season.
   
   
5. Divide the zucchini and squid among 4 plates and drizzle with dressing. Scatter with almonds and lemon zest, then serve with lemon wedges.

This great family recipe is thanks to delicious Recipes at https://www.delicious.com.au/recipes/squid-zucchini-almonds-lemon/a124e1ab-a0f1-4036-87e5-e2e6319046a5?current_section=recipes&r=recipes/collections/octopussquidrecipes&c=92d3acdf-e928-463f-a235-04d87eec849f/the%20best%20octopus%20and%20squid%20recipes

Flavoured with a dry red curry paste, this squid stir-fry is hot and sour, with crunchy snake beans and baby corn.

Prep Time

    •    Prep time: 10 minutes
    •    Cook time: 15 minutes
    •    Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

    •    2 tbsps fish sauce
    •    1 tbsp caster sugar
    •    steamed rice, to serve
    •    1 onion, cut into wedges
    •    1/4 cup (60ml) sunflower oil
    •    2 tbsps Thai red curry paste
    •    250g baby corn, halved if large
    •    handful Thai basil or regular basil leaves
    •    2 tbsps lime juice, plus wedges to serve
    •    250g snake beans, cut into 8cm lengths
    •    600g squid, cleaned, tentacles and tubes separated
    •    2 long red chillies, seeds removed, sliced at an angle

Method

1. Halve the squid tubes lengthways and score one side in a criss-cross pattern, then cut into 3cm-wide strips. Set aside.
2. Heat half the oil in a large wok over high heat. Stir-fry 1 tbs curry paste for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add half the squid tubes and tentacles and stir-fry for 1 minute until just opaque. Remove squid from wok and set aside. Repeat with remaining curry paste and squid.
3. Add remaining oil to wok, then stir-fry onion for 1-2 minutes. Add chillies, beans and corn and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until just tender. Add sugar, lime juice and fish sauce and toss to combine.
4. Return squid to wok and cook, stirring, for 1 minute to heat through. Garnish with basil leaves and serve immediately with rice and lime wedges.

This great family recipe is thanks to delicious Recipes at https://www.delicious.com.au/recipes/spicy-stir-fried-squid-snake-beans-baby-corn/4d850310-c313-4596-a9a8-e74a3a894e29?r=recipes/collections/octopussquidrecipes&c=92d3acdf-e928-463f-a235-04d87eec849f/the%20best%20octopus%20and%20squid%20recipes