Grilled Octopus
Octopus simmered gently for an hour until tender, then charred on a hot grill and dressed with olive oil, lemon and oregano.
Photograph credit: Grilled octopus - Other Mama - March 2019 01 by T.Tseng · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
It looks like a project and is really just patience. Octopus is chewy until it has been simmered long enough for the collagen to melt, and there is no way to shortcut that stage. About an hour at a bare simmer is what a 1 kg octopus needs, and the result is a tender texture with a little spring.
The Greek tradition is to beat the octopus on rocks to tenderise it, but these days most are sold frozen, and freezing has already broken down some of the fibres. Thaw it in the fridge overnight, rinse it, and put it into the pot with a bay leaf, a few peppercorns and a splash of white wine vinegar.
Do not add salt to the cooking water. The octopus releases its own salty liquid, and extra salt toughens the skin. Keep the water at a gentle bubble, with the lid on slightly ajar, and test a tentacle after 50 minutes with a knife. It should slide in with a little resistance.
Cool the octopus in its liquid, then cut into tentacles and char them on a very hot grill for 3 minutes a side. Dress them while hot with olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and sea salt, and serve with bread.
Quick Answers
How long does Grilled Octopus take to make?
20 minutes of preparation and 1 hour of cooking, plus 15 minutes of cooling, so allow 1 hour 35 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 4.
Grilled Octopus: Step by Step
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Put the octopus, bay leaves, peppercorns and vinegar in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer.
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Cook with the lid ajar for 60 minutes, until a knife slides into the thickest tentacle with slight resistance.
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Let the octopus cool in its liquid for 15 minutes, then lift out and cut into tentacles.
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Heat a grill or griddle pan until very hot. Brush the tentacles with 1 tbsp of the oil and char for 3 minutes per side.
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Toss with the remaining oil, the juice of 1 lemon, the oregano, salt and parsley. Serve with the other lemon cut into wedges.
Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.
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Worth Getting Right
- Do not salt the cooking water.
- Test a tentacle with a knife for tenderness.
- Dress the octopus while it is hot.
Swaps and Variations
- Fresh herbs work in place of the dried oregano at roughly three times the quantity — a teaspoon of dried is about a tablespoon of fresh, chopped.
- A dry vermouth keeps for longer than an open bottle of white wine and is the closer swap than a random white left in the fridge; for an alcohol-free version, use the same amount of stock with a squeeze of lemon.
What to Serve With It
Crusty bread · Greek salad · Fava puree · White wine
Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Horiatiki Greek Salad, Briam.
Keeping and Reheating
Keeps for 2 days in the fridge. Eat cold with lemon and oil.
Grilled Octopus Nutrition
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
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