Although octopus has long been eaten and enjoyed around the mediterranean, it’s taken a while to catch on here in the UK. The waters off Devon and Cornwall are prime fishing grounds for this  curious cephalopod, with our boats regularly landing Westcountry octopus catches at Newlyn, Cornwall, and Salcombe in south Devon. Though well known for its popularity with tourists, Salcombe has a rich maritime history and remains an important fishing port, with a primary focus on shellfish.

A Note on Preparation

At Greendale Farm Shop, our fresh octopus is supplied cleaned and gutted, with the head and tentacles separated. If you’d like our fishmongers to slice it further for you, just ask.
Octopus flesh is tougher than that of squid and cuttlefish, so it’s worth putting in a little extra prep to tenderise it before making your chosen recipe (some recipes include this step as part of the method, but some leave it out, so do check). 

The easiest way to tenderise octopus is to pre-cook it by simmering it in liquid; fill a large saucepan with salted water, bring to the boil and add the octopus, then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer immediately (this is important - if the octopus cooks too quickly, it will become rubbery) and cook for 45–60 minutes. The octopus is ready when the tip of a knife easily pierces the thickest part of one of the tentacles. It can be cut into pieces, ready to add to your recipe, as soon as it has drained and cooled.

How to Cook 

To remove the risk of any toughness, it’s worth tenderising octopus meat before cooking by simmering it for about an hour. After this, it can be grilled or stewed with equally delicious results. Most of the meat on an octopus is found in its eight tentacles, but the head is also delicious, and can be used alongside the tentacles or stuffed (for example with risotto) and served separately.

Suggested Recipes

Grilled Octopus
West Country Octopus Stew