Recipes Cuisine European Spanish Spanish Octopus 4.7 (18) 10 Reviews 9 Photos Above and beyond the ingredients in this octopus recipe, the cooking method, or should I say methods, couldn't be easier. As long as you braise it gently on low heat, until just tender, and then give it a nice sear before serving, you should be in great shape. This smoky braised octopus is great served with crusty roasted potatoes. Recipe by Chef John Updated on July 9, 2022 Save Saved! View All Saved Items Rate Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Add Photo 9 9 9 9 Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 1 hrs 30 mins Additional Time: 2 hrs Total Time: 3 hrs 40 mins Servings: 2 Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 1 large bay leaf 1 ½ teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ cup white wine Octopus: 1 (1 pound) piece Spanish octopus 2 tablespoons olive oil Sauce: ⅓ cup braising liquid 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil salt to taste 1 pinch cayenne pepper to taste Directions Place onion, garlic, bay leaf, paprika, salt, and 1 tablespoon olive oil into a saucepan. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until onions start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add white wine to create the braising liquid. Bring to a simmer. Transfer octopus into braising liquid, turning to coat with the liquid. Cover; reduce heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes and turn octopus over. Continue cooking until octopus is tender, another 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer octopus to a large bowl. Pour braising liquid over octopus. Place bowl above a bowl of ice water to cool to room temperature. Cover bowl with plastic wrap when octopus and liquid are cool. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight. Transfer octopus to a work surface and mop off braising juices with paper towels; remove as much of the purple skin as you want. Cut octopus into 3 or 4 serving-size pieces. Brush with olive oil. Transfer braising liquid to saucepan. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Strain out solids; transfer liquid to a mixing bowl; let cool about 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and cayenne pepper to make the serving sauce. Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to high heat. Transfer octopus pieces to grill. Cook until flesh is seared, almost charred, 3 or 4 minutes. Turn and cook other side until dark brown, caramelized, and heated through, another 3 or 4 minutes. Transfer to a platter. Slice octopus into fairly thick diagonal slices. Place on a serving dish. Spoon braising liquid mixture over the top. Dust with a bit of cayenne pepper, if desired. Chef John Chef's Note: Freshly chopped Italian parsley is nice to add to the serving sauce to taste. I love to serve braised octopus with crusty roasted potatoes. I Made It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 513 Calories 30g Fat 15g Carbs 35g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 2 Calories 513 % Daily Value * Total Fat 30g 38% Saturated Fat 4g 22% Cholesterol 109mg 36% Sodium 2046mg 89% Total Carbohydrate 15g 5% Dietary Fiber 2g 6% Total Sugars 3g Protein 35g Vitamin C 22mg 108% Calcium 152mg 12% Iron 13mg 72% Potassium 989mg 21% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption. Powered by the ESHA Research Database © 2018, ESHA Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved