Grilled Octopus

As the main summer holiday in the United States, the Fourth of July is strongly associated with grilling, usually burgers and other such classics. Here at No Free Lunch, we would never be so boring, so of course we're doing a whole octopus. Besides, I have plenty of burger recipes already. This particular specimen had been in our freezer for a while, ever since Ariel brought it home from the Asian market. I admit I was a little intimidated. I've grilled and pan fried cooked octopus tentacles many times, but had never done a whole raw one until now. I read many articles and generally followed Mark Bittman's technique here. The general idea is to simmer in water until tender, and then grill to brown the outside.

The startling thing about octopus, if you've never worked with it, is how much it shrinks as it cooks. Mine came frozen in a block of ice, weighing in at 4 1/4 lb. Once thawed, it was down to about 3 1/2. It tightened up a lot while cooking, and by the time it was done it fit on the small plate in the picture. I didn't weigh it, but I'm guessing it was maybe a pound at the end. After initial cooking, the octopus curled up. While it is probably possible to grill like this, I cut it up to get better contact with the grill. Once done, I season with olive oil, lemon, and herbs. There's room for variation, but lots of lemon for acidity is essential.

When grilling a main dish like this, I like to prepare a side on the grill, too, so I can keep an eye on both. Asparagus is one of my favorites. I toss them in olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. The asparagus should take about the same amount of time as the octopus. Keep them moving to avoid burning. On a hot day like this, don't forget to mix up a daiquiri before you head to the grill!

Ingredients

• 1 whole, cleaned octopus, about 3 1/2 lb.
• 1 bay leaf
• 3-4 cloves garlic, smashed
• Sprig of fresh thyme
• Olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Fresh herbs (parsley and/or chives) to taste, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

If your octopus is already cooked, skip the first step. Otherwise, place the octopus in a large saucepan or other lidded pot. Fill with water to completely submerge. Add bay leaf, garlic, and thyme (or whatever aromatics and herbs you want). Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and let simmer until tender, about 90 minutes (Note - I might try reducing this next time; I'm not sure it needed that long).

Take the octopus out and place in a colander to drain and cool. The outer skin will be very sticky at this point and easily comes off on your fingers, so maintain a light touch. Cut the octopus into 10 pieces: 8 tentacles, the body, and the head. Put the pieces on a plate and refrigerate uncovered until ready to eat. The octopus pieces should be dry before moving on.

Preheat grill. Toss the octopus in a little olive oil to coat. Grill until lightly browned on both sides, turning once. Since the octopus is already cooked, this does not take long. 

Cut into bite sized pieces and toss with more olive oil, lemon juice, herbs, salt and pepper.