GRILLED OCTOPUS
By Michael Minorgan for Curtains Up minorgan@yahoo.ca
Grilled octopus is one of my favourite seafoods to prepare on the barbeque. They are predominant in all Mediterranean cuisines with some of the best varieties being harvested on the Tunisian island of Djerba. They are a very. common tapas dish throughout the Mediterranean and a popular mezze dish in the Middle East.
They require a bit of preparation beforehand, but are a delicious addition to any summer meal. Octopus is at its best when it is simply served with a light dressing of fresh lemon juice, garlic, oregano and a good quality fruity olive oil from Crete.
Octopus lends itself to many preparations this week’s recipe is one I love and have used and tweaked a little over many hot summer nights cooking outside…..Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 strips lemon zest, each about 1-inch wide
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 3 bay leaves
- 5 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 cleaned fresh or thawed frozen octopus, 6-8 pounds
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup Kokkari Dressing (see below for recipe)
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
DIRECTIONS
Put the vinegar, lemon zest, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme in a large nonreactive pot. Add the octopus, cover, and place over high heat with no additional liquid. The octopus will sizzle at first but quickly release a lot of water. Cook until the skin turns purple and the octopus shrinks by 1/3, about 10 minutes.
Add 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, uncovered, then add 1 tablespoon salt. Place an inverted plate inside the pot to keep the octopus submerged; if necessary, weight the plate with a water-filled saucepan. Adjust the heat to maintain the merest simmer and cook until the tentacles are tender when pierced at the thickest part, about 2 hours. Taste the broth for salt. Let the octopus cool in the broth.
Remove the octopus from the cooking broth and cut off the heat (reserve for another use, such as marinated seafood salad). Cut the remainder into 8 whole tentacles. Rub off any loose skin, but try to leave most of the skin intact for flavor. Refrigerate the tentacles until cold, which will help keep the skin intact during grilling.
Prepare a hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to high. Rub the tentacles all over with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning once, until heated through and charred in spots, about 3 minutes. Cut the tentacles cross-wise into 1-inch chunks. Place them in a large bowl and add the dressing and lemon juice. Toss well and taste for seasoning. Transfer to a platter and serve hot.
Kokkari Dressing
INGREDIENTS
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons capers, rinsed and minced
- 2 teaspoons minced shallot
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried wild Greek oregano, crumbled
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, capers, shallot, garlic, parsley, and fresh oregano. Add the dried oregano and whisk in salt and pepper to taste.
