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Thread: cooking big Octopus

  1. #1

    cooking big Octopus

    Hi all
    I have seen a few cooking shows that boil a big Octopus, then cut the tentacles into bits and drizzle some Olive oil and Vinegar on it and serve cold, anyone know if just plain water or some secret recipe is used?, and how long it is boiled for? seems to be a Greek or Italian thing.

  2. #2

    Re: cooking big Octopus

    Just found this in a recipe book i was given last week. Havent tried it but will one day. This is pretty much straight from the book but a googlesearch of the name would bring up other recipes most likely.

    Pulpo a la feria ( fairground octopus )

    1 octopus about 750g
    1 onion peeled
    4 bay leaves
    1/2 teaspoon paprika
    a good pinch of cayenne pepper
    50 good olive oil
    1/2 - 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

    You will need to start the preparation for this dish well in advance. Seal the octopus in a plastic bag and leave it in the freezer for two weeks to help tenderize it. Then transfer it to the fridge the day before you wan to cook it to allow it to thaw gently for 24 hours.

    Next day clean ( gut and remove beak ) the octopus if its not already cleaned and give it a good wash inside and out.

    Simmer the octopus for at least 1 hour in plenty of water with the onion and bay leaves. Test after 30 mins and cook for a further 30 mins if it is still a bit tough. dont cook any longer than that though as it looses its fresh taste with long cooking. ( That didnt really make sense to me. Do you cook it for an hour then another 30mins then another 30 so in total 2 hours ? got me stuffed but that is what is in the book )

    Take the octopus out of the water and drain. Put it on a board , cut off the tentacles and thinly slice each one on the diagonal. Cut the body into similar sized pieces, place them on plate or plates and sprinkle with the paprika and cayenne. Heat the olive oil in a small pan until it is sizzles. Drizzle it over the octopus and then finally sprinkle with the sea salt. Serve with plenty of crusty bread. The book also says to serve on pine boards as the hot oil bring out a pine flavour in the octopus.

  3. #3

    Re: cooking big Octopus

    The greeks do a wonderful pickled octopus dish, I had some friends back in Sydney that were from Greek origins, and their mother used to do this dish. Was brilliantly flavoured, and responsible for me appreciating the eating qualities of things I used to consider only as bait or pests, when prepared properly.
    Never did get the recipe, though I suggest it was one of those 'traditional' handed down through the generations.

    I will do a bit of a search and see if I can find one and post it up here.

    Greg

  4. #4

    Re: cooking big Octopus

    One "no - frills" whilst nice way to eat Occy!

    Ingredients:

    1 kg Occy (broken down into 40 gm pieces)
    150 ml Olive oil
    3 Long Red Chilli's
    150 gm mixed olives
    3 garlic cloves
    150mls good red wine
    1 brown onion
    3 rough chopped roma toms
    1 fennel bulb
    zest of 2 oranges
    zest of 1 lemon

    Method

    Clean and break down your big Occy. TAKE OUT THE BEAK! (I have seen apprentices leave it in lol)

    Heat oil, add garlic, onion, olives & chilli. Sweat this off for about 5 mins

    Add Occy pieces, tomato's , zest, shaved fennel and wine.

    Braise for approx 1 1/4 hours over a moderate heat.

    Serve with a mild side dish that will not make the dish too rich i.e - Rocket, pine nut and parmo salad ect.

    Crack open the vino and enjoy!

    Let me know what you think once you try it.

    Cheers,
    Nick

  5. #5

    Re: cooking big Octopus

    I will give these a try and see how it goes, this time of the year, we get at least 2 big Occies in an outing crab trapping, and I have seen it done on TV, and I have eaten baby Occies on the BBQ heaps of times, and like Greg, I now eat things once regarded as bait, funny how not all that long ago, Squid, Octopus, Sea Urchins, Sardines and a pile of other goodies would never be seen on the plate are now quite common fair.

  6. #6

    Re: cooking big Octopus

    Quote Originally Posted by Noelm View Post
    Greg, I now eat things once regarded as bait, funny how not all that long ago, Squid, Octopus, Sea Urchins, Sardines and a pile of other goodies would never be seen on the plate are now quite common fair.

    They have always been common fair, just not to Aussies!

    I went down to the beach yesterday morning and there were 2 Indigenous fellas cooking up a feast on the coals. Barra, Mud Crab, Oysters, Sea Urchins and a Pikey Bream!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Not bad for 30 mins on the spear hey!!!

    Cheers,
    Nick

  7. #7

    Re: cooking big Octopus

    Nick, I guess for a lot of us of anglo descent, it all comes down to throwing off the shackles of prejudice and limited menus so lovingly bestowed on us by our british heritage. I grew up in a street that had families from 21 different nationalities, and as I was growing up with their kids of my own age, I had the most wonderful introduction to many varied cuisines....but at the traditional family level. At the time the most exotic food my mother would cook was chicken cacciatori (sp) or curried snags, and maybe add some spaghetti to the mince and call it bolognaise. I used to look forward to going to all my mates places for dinner or lunch for great tucker.

    It also got me started...once I left home and made my way in the world....trying my hand at this cooking caper. Needless to say thats when I really got into the 'exotic' foods that are actually the staples of many other cultures and have been for 10 times longer than european settlement in this country.

    Thats one of the reasons I haunt the recipe threads here. Always looking for some new (old) way of doing something, or ready to offer a tip from my limited knowledge, even post up something interesting I come across.

    (im still looking for a pickled occie recipe that sounds like the one I know from my early days)

    Greg

  8. #8

    Re: cooking big Octopus

    Noelm and Greg,
    Not sure if they are the same recipes that you both are looking for but when i did a google search on " traditional greek pickled octopus recipes " quite a few came up. They seemed to be closer to what you had described than the one i posted up. You may have already done this but if not have a look at what comes up.

  9. #9

    Re: cooking big Octopus

    Noelm,

    My old man is a Spaniard from a fishing town who would kill for large octopus cooked this way...

    Dip the clean occy in and out of a large pot of salted super boiling water and into a pot of cold water (this apparently shocks the flesh, affects the texture). Then you cook him whole (approx 30 min per kilo) in a copper pot (again something to do with the texture/toughness of the final product)

    Once done, you cut the tentecles into bite sized pieces, drizzle with a high quality extra vigin Olive oile, crack fresh salt and a good sprinkle of normal paprika (or pimenton if your able to get it from a deli or shop that sells stuff from Spain)

    And thats the way that it is commonly served in tapas bars througout Spain and for some reason always on a large wooden plate?

  10. #10

    Re: cooking big Octopus

    Boil the occy for 27 hours in a pot of salted water with your choice of veges. Throw the occy in the bin and drink the soup.

    Baby occy is the way to go.
    I CAME INTO THIS WORLD KICKING, SCREAMING AND COVERED IN SOMEONE ELSES BLOOD. I HAVE NO PROBLEM GOING OUT THE SAME WAY.
    NEWBY T.G.

  11. #11

    Red face Re: cooking big Octopus

    Freeze occy for a week with head and beak removed. Defrost and cut 8 tenticles off. Marinate in oil, garlic, lemon & pepper for a few hours then cook on open grill of barbeque until reddish purplely skin gets some black charring on it. Remove and cut into edible pieces, serve with cracked pepper and lemon. Note. Do not remove suckers or skin otherwise it will not have much flavour!

  12. #12

    Re: cooking big Octopus

    Freeze occy for a week, defrost and bring to the boil in water. Poke a skewer through tenticles to test for tenderness, 5 mins or so. Remove, cool and rub red skin off leaving the suckers on the tenticles. Cut into bite size pieces and marinate in a jar in Redwine Vinegar available from a shop. Don't use oil as some tend to turn into a white floating glug.

  13. #13

    Re: cooking big Octopus

    Quote Originally Posted by Noelm View Post
    Hi all
    I have seen a few cooking shows that boil a big Octopus, then cut the tentacles into bits and drizzle some Olive oil and Vinegar on it and serve cold, anyone know if just plain water or some secret recipe is used?, and how long it is boiled for? seems to be a Greek or Italian thing.
    Noel i think i watched the same show as you did(would it have been the Cook n the Chef by any chance??) and i would rather you googled the Greek version of pickling Octopus if its pickled Occy you want to try.
    Will keep much longer in a jar and a treat as a nibbly along with a good Ploumari Ouzo ..
    Cheers

  14. #14

    Re: cooking big Octopus

    Once the Occy is cleaned it is a good idea to give the tentacles a good wack with the meat mallet. Don't smash it just wack it. Then cut up into about 5 cm pieces and marinate in red wine vinegar, white wine, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and cut up the squeezed lemon and add to marinade, add one or two kiwi fruit sliced up, but not too thin, the enzime in the kiwi will tenderise the occy beautifully. Remove the kiwi fruit before cooking on the char grill on your BBQ or even Better group the coals in the middle of the webber. As it is cooking splash with the marinade, it will flame up and the aroma will bring the neighbours around in a heartbeat, Serve onto a platter with a good pile of baby spinach, curly endive and water cress and you will be the talk of the BBQ.

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