Grilled Octopus with Lemon and Oregano
Simmered low until a knife slides through with no resistance, then charred hard on the grill for a crust the braise alone can't give.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 2 hours
- Written
Method
-
Put the octopus, onion, garlic, and bay leaf in a large pot and cover with water by 2 inches.
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Bring to a bare simmer and cook uncovered until a paring knife slides into the thickest tentacle with no resistance, 1½ to 2 hours.
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Lift the octopus out and let it cool until it can be handled, then discard the poaching liquid.
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Cut the tentacles apart at the base and pat them dry.
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Toss the tentacles with the olive oil, the juice of one lemon, oregano, salt, and pepper.
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Heat a grill or grill pan until it’s ripping hot and sear the tentacles until the edges char and curl, about 2 minutes per side.
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Squeeze the second lemon over the top and serve right away.
Notes
The braise is what makes this work, not the grill. Raw octopus dropped straight onto heat turns to rubber; a long, slow simmer breaks the connective tissue down first, so the grill only has to add char and smoke instead of finishing the cooking. Frozen octopus, thawed, actually starts more tender than fresh — the freezing does some of that breakdown on its own.
Serve it warm, cut into pieces, over white beans or dressed greens; the tentacles are rich enough that they mostly need something acidic underneath to lean on.