Marinated Octopus

rangapeach's Note:

This is an adopted recipe and should be made with larger, older, not itty bitty baby octopus. The flavour of vinegar and lemon here are strong and not to everyone's taste. If you are fond of tako sashimi, this is not for you. But if Mediterranean fish salads are your thing, this is authentic.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 2 medium octopus
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 cup wine vinegar
• 1 large onion
• 1 tablespoon Greek oregano
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons rosemary
• 1/2 cup lemon juice

Directions:

1. Place octopus in a large pan with plenty of water and boil for 2 hours.
2. Remove from heat; wash and remove the skin.
3. Cut in desired size pieces.
4. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients, except the lemon juice, and add octopus.
5. Mix well; cover; and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
6. When ready to serve, stir in the lemon juice.

Reviews

[Chef #287566]

Terrible. The result was tough as a bicycle tire and the lemon flavor was overwhelming. After three bites I sent the whole thing down my disposal. I wondered about the amount of lemon juice called for before I began, but I went ahead anyway. My mistake. Octopus is seafood and seafood 'cooks' in citrus juice. Even 3 hours is too much time in this marinade. By the time I put the octopus on the grill it had already toughened up. Cooking it only made things worse. Forget this one. And if you are wondering, yes, I used baby octopus, and, no, I did not overcook it. It was only in the heat for 5 minutes.

[mora]

it was delicious with brut champagne! (I enjoyed it better bathed in garlic sauce)

[nancydes1]

I thought this recipe made an excellent appetizer (I chose to leave out the rosemary). You may not enjoy this recipe if you don't appreciate the taste and texture of octopus. If you do, this makes a great appetizer.