#Grilled octopus how to#

Use tongs to lift the octopus out of the pot and roll gently in the marinade to coat (photos 3 & 4). Meanwhile, whisk the lemon-herb marinade in a bowl (photos 1 & 2).

#Grilled octopus how to#

How to Tenderize Octopus for Grilling – Step by Stepįor baby octopus, simmer gently on low heat for 30 minutes (or up to 90 minutes for a large octopus) in the wine-vinegar mixture. If so, simply rinse the octopus and place directly into a pot that fits it. Your octopus likely has the eyes and head hollowed out already. Alternatively, use a sharp knife to draw a slit to scrape it out. You can easily grab it and remove it with your fingers. Look at the bottom of the octopus to located the mouth hole while simultaneously pushing up on the head to expose a hard beak. The good news is that there’s little risk of over-cooking octopus! Keep an eye on the liquid level in the pot and add more water if it starts to look dry. For baby octopus, I recommend 30 minutes but I’ve boiled large octopus for 1 1/2 hours. How long do you boil octopus?įirst of all, we are gently simmering the octopus (not boiling) for as long as it takes to be knife-tender. Once the octopus is tender, you want to marinade it so it doesn’t stick to the grill and has a nice flavor to compliment the char. Today we will be tenderizing the octopuses by simmering in wine vinegar and wine.

Since octopus can have a tough texture, the Greek fishermen beat the octopus on the rocks 40 times to tenderize it. This Greek-inspired marinade features the classic combination of lemon, herbs, and olive oil.