Comments on: Tender Braised Octopus, FINALLY!!! :)

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 03:46:54 +0000

I heard that the way to cook octopus so that its tender is either to cook it really quickly or for a long long time. Anywhere in the middle and its chewy. The 5 minute method above seems to bear this out. Will try it next time I see octopi in the supermarket …

By: Jenna

Jenna — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 16:26:19 +0000

Hello, longtime lurker…

I simply let the octopus braise in its own juices (no added liquid; sitting on top of some slices of onion and/or other seasoning, sometimes but not always) in a covered pot at a very low temperature in the oven, say 200F. It takes several hours, but it has worked every time. No acid, no beatings, no cork! I got the idea from here: https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/dining/05curious.html?_r=0 … but I do not bother to blanch the octopus.

Mind you, I’m always working from a frozen octopus (which I thaw before putting in the oven), so that may be doing a bit of the work.

By: Papa Ethan

Papa Ethan — Sun, 15 Sep 2013 12:25:59 +0000

corrine: i’m not sure about the science behind it, but the heavily salted boiling water somehow tenderizes the octopus without making it salty, maybe because you only keep it boiling for five minutes and then turn off the heat. I’ve done this many times in the past and the results are always okay.

By: joey @ 80 breakfasts

joey @ 80 breakfasts — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 08:33:38 +0000

Thanks for sharing this MM! One of my favorite Spanish tapas involves octopus but like most I am always nervous about cooking it at home…thanks or the how-to!

By: corrine

corrine — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 06:16:13 +0000

I really like the Korean way …octopus in chili sauce. You think I should tenderize it first as you did and then stir fry in chili sauce?

If water is heavily salted, wouldn’t that make the octopus too salty?

By: alicia

alicia — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 00:58:51 +0000

Oh wow. Thanks so much for this. I have been wanting to use octopus in many dishes and this will help. HAve you tried the octopus and bone marrow pasta at Marea in NYC? ITs delicious. Maybe you could recreate and share with us how to do it!

By: Anna Banana

Anna Banana — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 20:10:30 +0000

Yum! tako! Will there be takoyaki experiments, Mr. MM sir? I really hope so! :-)

By: onix

onix — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 07:34:57 +0000

what about running over it with your car back and forth then drop it into a slow cooker.. that will do the job haha

By: Marketman

Marketman — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 04:47:02 +0000

Toping, I liked that movie… Yes, it was a bit more brutal, my treatment of the octopus… :) Jesse, VERY COOL video link, that’s for providing that.

By: Toping

Toping — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 04:21:58 +0000

I’m surprised you haven’t tried massaging the octopus, the way they did in “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.” :-)