How to Boil Octopus
I know at least 3 people who have been waiting for this recipe for a long time 😉 Some have seen the photos and asked for the recipe, others have actually tasted octopus boiled this way and were delighted by how tender it comes out. I'm also delighted that I can now share a technique that gives consistent results. In the coming days I also have some interesting recipes using this boiled octopus. Like... about three. Stay tuned!
Ingredients
1 octopus, 1 - 1.5 kg (frozen)
1 glass dry white wine
1/2 glass water
How to prepare how to boil octopus
- Defrost the octopus in the refrigerator.
- Wash the octopus well, cut off the sac, and clean the eye between the tentacles. Drain and put it in a bag where you beat it well with a meat mallet.
- Wash it once more. Now if you smell it, you'll be able to tell how fresh it is. If it smells like seawater, it's great; if it smells like stagnant seawater (stale? 😖 ) then it was probably thawed before, which will be noticeable after boiling too.
- Bring water to a boil. Dip the octopus, holding it by the head, for 15 seconds in the water. Take it out and dip it again after the water returns to a boil. Plunge it into cold water to stop the cooking.
- Put the wine and water in a Dutch oven (this retains heat very well), preferably fresh wine with higher acidity, and add the octopus. If desired, you can add different aromatics to the pot (rosemary, bay leaf, lemon/orange peel).
Put on the lid and place in the preheated oven at 150°C, but reduce to 120°C after 10 minutes. Cook for about 1.5 hours. Test with a skewer in the thickest part of the tentacles. If the skewer slides in easily, the octopus is done. - Turn off the oven. Let it cool in the cooking liquid in the oven (this way it will continue to cook slowly and become tender). It can be used immediately in recipes or refrigerated overnight. The cooking liquid may become gelatinous in the fridge, that's normal. It keeps in the fridge, in the cooking liquid, for 3-4 days.
- The next day, scrape off the skin with the flat side of a knife. Use in recipes.
* an octopus this size is enough for 4 people; I usually make an appetizer from the center and a main course from the tentacles.
Octopus in Dutch oven with wine and water
Boiled octopus, before cleaning
