Grilled Octopus Recipe for Beginners | Clean, Butcher, Boil, Season and Grill

Introduction

This recipe walks you through the steps to create a restaurant-quality Grilled Octopus dish, served with baba ganoush and a simple salad. The process involves cleaning and preparing the octopus, tenderizing it, marinating, and finally grilling to achieve a charred, flavorful finish. Here's a concise version of the recipe to guide you through making this elegant dish at home:

Ingredients:

• 1 whole octopus
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Lemon zest
• Salt and pepper
• Baba ganoush (store-bought or homemade)
• Salad greens (such as arugula and spinach)
• Pistachios (for the salad)
• Lemon vinaigrette (for the salad)

Preparation Steps:

1. Clean the Octopus: Remove the eyes and clean out the head. Push out the beak from the center of the tentacles and rinse the octopus under water.
2. Tenderize the Octopus: Use a heavy object to gently tenderize the larger tentacles of the octopus to soften the meat.
3. Boil the Octopus: In a large pot of boiling salted water, dip the octopus three times to curl the tentacles, then simmer for about 15-20 minutes per pound, or until fork-tender.
4. Cool and Marinate: After boiling, cool the octopus in cold water. Slice it into pieces, then marinate with olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and any additional spices like sumac or za'atar.
5. Grill the Octopus: Preheat your grill to high (500-600 degrees F). Grill the octopus pieces, turning every 2-3 minutes, until charred and crispy, approximately 10-12 minutes.
6. Prepare the Salad: Mix salad greens with pistachios and dress with a lemon vinaigrette.
7. Serve: Spread baba ganoush on the plate, arrange the grilled octopus on top, and serve with the salad.

Tips:

• Be flexible with the accompaniments; you can tailor the salad and serving sauces to your taste.
• The octopus should be tender and not rubbery, with a crispy exterior from grilling.
• This dish pairs well with Middle Eastern flavors, but feel free to adapt it based on your preferences.

Enjoy the process and the delicious result of making grilled octopus at home, turning a simple meal into an elegant dining experience.