Grilled Octopus
This is a great way to showcase delicious local octopus – we like to serve it with plenty of garlic mayo and some crusty bread. The recipe itself is simple, but it does require cooking and marinating time; both these steps can be done the night before, with the final grilling stage just before you’re ready to eat. Serves 4 as a starter or as part of a spread.
Fill a large saucepan two-thirds full with cold water, and add the bay leaves, onion, carrot, celery and peppercorns. Bring to the boil, then carefully add the octopus to the pan and make sure it’s completely submerged; reduce the heat right down as soon as the octopus goes into the water, then leave to simmer gently for about an hour, or until the tip of a sharp knife will easily pierce the thickest part of a tentacle (top up the cooking water if it gets low during cooking). When cooked, take the pan off the heat and leave the octopus to cool in its cooking liquid.
To make the marinade, whisk the oil, vinegar and dried herbs together in a jug or mixing bowl, then crush in the garlic cloves, add a generous pinch of salt and whisk again. Next, drain the cooled octopus. Separate the tentacles from each other and cut them into bite-sized pieces, then cut the head into similar-sized pieces, too. Put the pieces into a large dish or shallow bowl and pour over the marinade, gently turning the octopus pieces to coat thoroughly. Put the dish in the fridge and leave to marinate overnight, or for at least two hours.
To cook, have a serving plate ready and make sure any accompaniments (bread, mayo) are to hand. Place a griddle pan over a high heat and let it get really hot; while you wait, drain the marinade from the octopus pieces. When the pan is ready, carefully place the octopus pieces on it and sear for 2-3 minutes, turning, until they start to crisp and char. Transfer to the serving plate and repeat with the remaining pieces. Squeeze over the reserved lemon half, then serve straight away with the lemon wedges alongside.
