Description
Mediterranean grilled octopus brings intense coastal flavors to dinner tables, highlighting tender seafood with smoky char marks. Herb-infused olive oil and lemon complement oceanic richness, offering you a perfect Mediterranean-style appetizer or main course.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 small to medium-sized octopuses
- 6 cups (1420 ml/48 fl oz) water
- 1 cup (240 ml/8 fl oz) olive oil (Mina Moroccan preferred)
- 1 onion, halved
- 1 cup (240 ml/8 fl oz) fresh herbs
- 2 tbsps (30 ml/1 fl oz) lemon juice
- 4 slices lemon
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup (120 ml/4 fl oz) mixed herbs (oregano, thyme, dill, parsley, and rosemary), minced
- 1 jalapeño, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp peppercorns
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Poaching Setup: Craft a flavor-rich liquid by combining water, whole onion, lemon slices, black peppercorns, sea salt, herbs, and bay leaves in a large pot, bringing to a vigorous boil.
- Octopus Submersion: Delicately introduce the octopus into the bubbling liquid, allowing tentacles to naturally curl, then fully immerse the seafood, simmering gently until supremely tender (45-90 minutes).
- Preparation Technique: Extract the octopus, cool briefly, then slice tentacles into uniform bite-sized portions, creating a foundation for the grilling process.
- Flavor Infusion: Craft a vibrant marinade blending olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper, thoroughly coating the octopus strips and allowing to rest in the refrigerator for 1-12 hours.
- Grilling Execution: Fire up the grill or grill pan to medium-high heat (400-450°F), strategically positioning marinated tentacles to develop perfect charred edges, rotating every 3 minutes and basting with additional marinade to amplify moisture and depth of flavor.
- Presentation Finale: Immediately transfer the perfectly grilled octopus to a serving platter, garnishing with fresh herbs and lemon wedges to elevate the visual and gustatory experience.
Notes
- Tenderize Carefully: Poach octopus slowly to break down tough muscle fibers, ensuring a melt-in-your-mouth texture without becoming rubbery.
- Marinate Strategically: Allow minimum 1-hour marination to infuse deep flavors and help prevent drying out during high-heat grilling.
- Control Grill Temperature: Maintain medium-high heat around 400-450°F to create perfect charred exterior while keeping interior succulent and tender.
- Timing is Critical: Watch closely during grilling, as octopus can quickly transition from perfectly charred to overcooked and tough within seconds.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 44 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 38 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg