I’d place Octopus and Cuttlefish in the same bracket – overlooked and thought of as being difficult to prepare and even more difficult to cook. It’s true Octopus is overlooked, but it’s straightforward to prepare and easy to cook. There’s also plenty of Octopus recipes available!
Like an old school geography lesson, let’s start with a video. The video shows just how easy it is to prepare and cook Octopus. Of course, if you’re a little daunted at the prospect of preparing your own Octopus you could ask your fishmonger (you may need to wear your best smile).
The best Octopus I’ve eaten was in a very nice restaurant in Palma, Majorca. Incidentally, Palma has some fantastic fish markets that are well worth exploring.
Anyway, the Octopus tentacle was beautifully cooked and served sliced on a wooden board. It was all very Spanish, and all very enjoyable.
Tenderizing
If you want to cook Octopus you’ll need to plan ahead. Octopus needs tenderizing. The easiest way to tenderize Octopus is to whack it in a sealed bag and place in the freezer for a couple weeks.
Transfer to the fridge the day before you want to cook it. Don’t forget to clean the Octopus.
Octopus recipes
There are some lovely Octopus recipes that simply evoke summer.
We have charred Octopus with tomatoes and oregano from the stunningly presented, Saffron in the Souks by John Gregory-Smith. This really is a beautiful book – one that is still available to buy on Amazon here.
Rick Stein’s Spain is another well-presented book that is worth having on your cookbook shelf.
Rick gives us four Octopus recipes in total, the best being fairground-style Octopus. It’s simple and beautiful. Boiled and sliced octopus served with a sprinkling of hot, smoked hot Spanish paprika and a splash of olive oil.
Read our review of Rick Stein’s Spain here. Or buy the book today on Amazon.
Seasonality
Avoid buying Octopus in March and April.
Sustainability
The latest Marine Conservation Society Good Fish Guide rating for Prawns can be found here.