When it comes to cooking new foods I’m extremely stubborn. For some reason I’m always determined to cook something new without reading any instructions.
That’s exactly what I did with octopus. I attempted to grill it without following any instructions and made the process so hard for myself. But that’s why we bought two 🙂 !
The next night, I actually decided to watch a video on how to cook octopus and learned that it is so much easier than I first made it out to be. So don’t make my original mistake, here are easy steps on how to cook octopus.
First things first
Bigger is better. When cooked, an octopus shrinks to at least half of it’s raw size. Our seemingly decent-sized guy ended up being just enough for an appetizer.
Before cooking, make sure the octopus is completely defrosted. Most octopus sold in the country has it’s head removed and is cleaned, so probably only need to give it a good rinse before cooking.
How to Cook Octopus
Our goal was to create a slightly grilled look, but we have limited equipment in our kitchen at the moment. Instead, we boiled the octopus to fully cook it, followed up by a light pan-searing.
Bring water to a boil
First, bring water to a boil in a pot. Add octopus to the pot, then bring down to a simmer. You’ll notice that the octopus will change color quickly. The cooking time of octopus varies greatly depending on the size. It typically takes about 30-60 minutes to cook.
Check for doneness
Around the 45 minute mark, take a sharp knife and poke a part of the octopus. If there is no resistance, the octopus is fully cooked.
However, it’s very easy to overcook octopus, so make sure to keep an eye on it.
Cut into pieces
Let the octopus cook for a few minutes, then cut legs from the base of the octopus.
Bring it to the grill
Turn up the grill to a high temperature. Toss the octopus gently in your preferred oil and flavors. We used sesame oil, a little bit of ginger and garlic powder.
When the grill reaches a high temperature, add octopus legs and grill for just 4 minutes on each side. Overcooking with result in a tougher octopus.
Then serve! There are many ways to cook octopus but I definitely think this way is by far the easiest. Hope you enjoy!