Spanish Braised Octopus
In the last year or so, octopus has quickly become one of my favorite proteins. It's one of my go-to items that I order at Spanish restaurants. Octopus has earned an unfair reputation for being rubbery (probably from mediocre sushi places). Cooked properly, it is tender on the inside, which contrasts beautifully with the sear on the outside. I adopted this recipe from Chef John's recipe on Food Wishes. I still have a lot of room for improvement (I think I may have slightly overcooked the octopus in the braising liquid and under-seared the exterior at the end), but the end result still tasted great.
Active Time: 30 min
Total Time: 1 hr 30 min
Ingredients
For the braise:
> octopus (around 1 pound will work well for this)
> onion (1), garlic (3 cloves)
> bay leaves (2)
> white wine
> salt, paprika, olive oil
For the sauce:
> 1/3 cup braising liquid, strained & boiled
> lemon juice (1 tbsp)
> olive oil (1 tbsp)
> parsley
> salt, paprika, cayenne (optional)
Instructions
1. In a saucepan, combine 1 roughly chopped onion, 3 lightly crushed cloves of garlic, bay leaves, salt, paprika, and olive oil. Saute over medium-high heat for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
2. Add a small amount of white wine - this will serve as the braising liquid. Bring up to a simmer.
3. Carefully add the octopus into the pot. Reduce heat to low, cover, and slowly cook for about 1 hour, or until tender. Halfway through, flip the octopus.
4. Once tender, remove the octopus from the pot. Using a paper towel, remove the layer of purple skin on the outside and thoroughly dry it. Slice it into a couple of manageable pieces. Coat the outside with some olive oil.
5. Over a grill pan or a very hot cast iron, generously sear the outside of the octopus.
6. In the meantime, strain and bring some braising liquid up to a boil. Mix in lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, salt, cayenne, and paprika - this will serve as a sauce.
7. Serve the octopus over some crusty roasted potatoes, and generously spoon over the sauce. Enjoy!
Notes/Tips:
> Do not be timid with searing the octopus. You really want to go very far with the sear (the hotter the pan the better, but make do with what you have in terms of ventilation). The sear adds an amazing textural contrast (with the tender interior) and flavor.
> Take the timing suggestion as a general guideline - cooking time may vary depending on your stove's power and the size of the octopus tentacle. Test with a utensil to ensure the octopus is cooked perfectly.
> I'm not actually quite sure why, but potatoes are an excellent complement to octopus. Roasted baby potatoes, small fondant potatoes, crusty roasted potatoes, smashed potatoes - really anything would probably work. It also pairs nicely with the sauce.