Like many sea creatures with a slimy texture, octopus is divisive – people either love it or hate it. As you may have guessed by the title of this post, I am in the former camp and believe I could happily eat octopus every day for the rest of my life. I know this because last year on vacation in Portugal and Spain I participated in that unique challenge and ate it every day for 2 weeks and felt I was really only getting started. Yes, it has 8 tentacles which are a little creepy, and yes, it has suction cups all over its body, which are also a little creepy, but it’s a wonderfully versatile seafood to cook with. Octopus in ceviche, octopus grilled, octopus braised – the resulting meat is very different in each preparation, but always delicious.
I found a Greek recipe for octopus and decided that a festive, summery Mediterranean preparation was just the ticket. Having cooked up some things in the past that made me slightly uncomfortable, such as little quails with weird, tiny legs, I was pretty ready to get aboard the octopus train. I headed out to Fairway and bought myself an octopus that was just the right size I was looking for. I took it home, put it in the fridge and then found myself procrastinating on actually taking it out and getting started for most of the day. By late afternoon I knew I needed to get the dry rub on in time for dinner, so I very gingerly removed the bag from the fridge and stared at it for awhile. And then I lifted it out of the bag and the tentacles unfurled and they were SO LONG and for a split second I regretted taking on the project.
It didn’t last. Once I got the octopus in the pot with a smattering of fennel seeds and red pepper flakes and its tentacles carefully arranged, I was good to go. This recipe is an absolute cinch – you braise the octopus in the oven (it makes a lot of juice! That looks like red wine!) and make the cherry tomato-based sauce and combine the two. The octopus after it’s done braising for hours in the oven does not look at all like the one you will have wrestled into a pot hours earlier.
The result of handling a slimy sea creature will be a very dinner party-worthy meal. I impressed myself with my plating skills as I ladled octopus and sauce over a bowl of steaming polenta and sprinkled with feta. I’d also recommend throwing in some Kalamata olives, which I’ve added to the recipe below. It’s the perfect summer meal that will make you wish you were on a patio in Greece, but without all of the issues that being in Greece this summer would inevitably entail. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 medium octopus, about 2 1/4 lb., cleaned
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- Pinch of dried red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- Pinch of dried red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 12 oz. cherry tomatoes
- Pinch of sea salt and sugar
- 1 cup crumbled feta or grated Kafalotyri
- Polenta, for serving
- Kalamata olives, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Select a roasting pan or Dutch oven in which the octopus will fit snugly. Place the cleaned octopus in it and scatter with the fennel seeds and pepper flakes. Cover with foil and cook in the oven for about 2 hours, until the octopus is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Avoid overcooking - this can make the flesh tough.
- Remove the octopus and set aside to cool. Pass the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and reserve. Slice the cooled tentacles and head into 1 1/4-inch pieces and set aside while you make the tomato sauce.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, nonstick frying pan over low heat, then add the garlic, fennel seeds and pepper flakes and cook for about 1 minute, until infused. Add the tomato paste and cook over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring continuously and being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the cherry tomatoes, a pinch of sea salt and sugar and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the octopus and its reserved cooking liquid. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes until reduced. Serve on top of a bowl of polenta and sprinkle with cheese.
Notes
Adapted from Smashing Plates
