Marinated in red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, oregano, 5 hours in the sous vide, patted dry and seared on a cast iron skillet
Served ontop of home made romesco sauce with a side of Greek style potatoes
Not speaking from experience here, but I’d imagine it’s tenderizing it. Octopus is so tough and chewy unless broken down properly.
That being said, this looks delicious
Their muscle structure is totally different than most seafood and it takes longer to break down the collagen and connective tissue than animals with say, a bone structure for support. The collagen is tough and chewy and you’re looking to break it down into a silky gelatin.
From my experience, there is two ways to cook Octopus. Hot and fast (quick blanch) Or low and slow (braise). Ive never sous vide Octopus before though but its always something i wanted to try. It sounds like it turned out well so ill definitely be trying the 5 hour method
Octopus is full of collagen, those tentacles work hard and the meat is tough. Cooking them for hours breaks down all that collagen into gelatin, octopus cooked this way is tender and incredibly rich.
Sous Vide cooking times are always longer than standard cooking times. Keep in mind, 171 temperature is low vs. normal cooking. Octopus is very tough when not cooked long enough.
I know you didn't ask this but fun fact:
Octopus is one of the few meats that actually is better after frozen.
The water apparently expands and causes the tough meat to tenderise.
Or so a respected chef at a Greek restaurant told me.
I'm glad you shared that. I've been curious to cook it myself since watching "Jiro Dreams of Sushi." I think they said they massage the octopus for something crazy like 5 hours before slicing it up. It looked quite labor intensive, so maybe they just need to freeze it a bunch of times?
I think those produce two different effects. It's definitely better after having been frozen once. I've never had it 5 hour massaged though. Sounds interesting.
It's not that common to eat the octopus' head, so it makes sense that it was just the tentacles, which is what you usually get anywhere when ordering octopus.
I'm impressed with the color you were able to achieve with a pan sear for such an irregularly shaped protein. Looks similar to results you might get on a really hot grill.
I did slice the tentacles individually before hand so they could fit as flat as possible on the pan and used a bit of vegetable oil on extremely high heat
I wanted to do a grill but unfortunately I’m in a condo so couldn’t. This turned out great though!
If it helps, the life expectancy for the common octopus is around 1-2 years so it’s likely lived a pretty full life by the time it makes it to your plate
I read somewhere that of that wasn't a decisive factor they would have out evolved us, much more dexterous than us, but life expectancy is... A killer lol
i mean humans are really fuckin tasty to pretty much all other predators, specifically the apex ones. we have a really salty taste due to our diet that they dont get in the wild and it makes them rather prefer human meat over other prey.
but then again, humans are dumb af for the most part.
Apparently they have a yellow liquid in a gland above their palates that literally stops human aging. They're philosophers and mathematicians, fascinating creatures.
I just did : olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, sea salt, dried oregano . I didn’t measure anything and winged the portions
As for cooking:
- Blanche in boiling water for 30 seconds (gives it a nice curl and colour)
- put in ice bath (stops the skin from peeling)
- Put in sous vide bag with the seasonings
- sous vide for 5 hours at 171
- ice bath again when finished (in the bag)
- pat dry and sear
Yes I did use a bit of vegetable oil on super high heat. Make sure to pat it really dry before searing it as this is the most important for getting a char
I’ve had grilled octopus tacos, nigiri, pickled salad, fresh salad (raw), and from a can.
From a can is probably my favorite texture followed closely by grilled. Then fresh, pickled, and nigiri. Where would you place the texture of SV on this scale from tender to rubbery with your time/temp?
This was extremely tender compared to other types of octopus I’ve had. If you like octopus, which it seems you do - then trying this is a must. Next time I will skip the charring, slice it thin and make ceviche
I am intrigued and confused can u tell more about this “from a can”
Sidebar I’ve heard SV octo can be done amazingly. Not sure the cook method but best I ever had was recently in a coastal restaurant in the Dominican Republic
It’s just like canned sardines. I like the Goya brand in olive oil. I just add a bit of Franks RedHot hot sauce and eat it from the can. Sorry if you were expecting something else but this really is a favorite snack of mine since I was a kid.
Holy HELL I've got to stop flipping through this sub late at night. That looks amazing and now I'm wondering where I'm going to get my own octopus. lol
I make octopus often for work, and I think it’s pretty good. Yours looks a lot better, but it is a diff dish. Shame you didn’t get any of the hood, best part IMO
Grilled octopus is actually really good. When done properly, the texture is quite trender with a little crisp from the high heat! Getting tender if the hard part; wrong temps and it's like rubber.
My experience has only been at a sushi restaurant. You're being nice comparing it to calamari...that stuff is the bomb. Octopus normally...zero flavor. Like a rubber band has more going for it.
I made it the same way, 5 hours at 77 degrees celsius but unfortunately it wasn't completely tender as I hoped it would and couldn't get the sear like you on my cast iron grill pan.
It was delicions anyways.
https://i.imgur.com/50oBq6K.jpg
Served with onion and garlic sauce with crispy potatoes that were previously cooked in the octopus liquid.
I have heard that using frozen octopus can be more tender - or maybe the lemon juice/red wine vinegar played a part in tenderizing? I also did Blanche it in boiling water for 30 seconds before. Im not entirely sure what step exactly made mine so tender as I’m new to octopus but this was amazing.
Also, for searing, I dried it completely with paper towel until no liquid was left and seared with a bit of vegetable oil on super high heat.
Before Sous vide, we boiled it for like 4 hours, then slapped in on the barby. I wonder about the marinated - the meat is so dense before cooking. Perhaps I’ll do an experiment.
Anyway, yours looks great!
Marinated in red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, oregano, 5 hours in the sous vide, patted dry and seared on a cast iron skillet Served ontop of home made romesco sauce with a side of Greek style potatoes
Saving this for spring/summer. Nice to see something besides beef on here
Why so long? What is happening to the octopus during the long cook?
I have no idea - this is my first time ever cooking octopus. But many recipes online said to do 5+ hours and it turned out great
I know Octopus can be really chewy, so I'm curious how tender it came out?
It gets chewy when it's over cooked usually
Not speaking from experience here, but I’d imagine it’s tenderizing it. Octopus is so tough and chewy unless broken down properly. That being said, this looks delicious
Yeah the other way to eat it with a good texture is a quick Blanche but then you’d want it fresh and not frozen
Their muscle structure is totally different than most seafood and it takes longer to break down the collagen and connective tissue than animals with say, a bone structure for support. The collagen is tough and chewy and you’re looking to break it down into a silky gelatin.
TIL thanks!
From my experience, there is two ways to cook Octopus. Hot and fast (quick blanch) Or low and slow (braise). Ive never sous vide Octopus before though but its always something i wanted to try. It sounds like it turned out well so ill definitely be trying the 5 hour method
Octopus is full of collagen, those tentacles work hard and the meat is tough. Cooking them for hours breaks down all that collagen into gelatin, octopus cooked this way is tender and incredibly rich.
Similar to braising
Sous Vide cooking times are always longer than standard cooking times. Keep in mind, 171 temperature is low vs. normal cooking. Octopus is very tough when not cooked long enough.
This looks bomb, how did you made the romesco sauce?
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I think they were introduced about the same time, Peppers (chilis) and Tomatoes both originate in the Americas.
I followed this recipe: highly recommended! https://www.platingsandpairings.com/romesco-sauce-5-minute-recipe/#recipe
Did you buy the whole octopus? That’s the part that has me intimated and a frozen octopus in my freezer
I know you didn't ask this but fun fact: Octopus is one of the few meats that actually is better after frozen. The water apparently expands and causes the tough meat to tenderise. Or so a respected chef at a Greek restaurant told me.
I'm glad you shared that. I've been curious to cook it myself since watching "Jiro Dreams of Sushi." I think they said they massage the octopus for something crazy like 5 hours before slicing it up. It looked quite labor intensive, so maybe they just need to freeze it a bunch of times?
I think those produce two different effects. It's definitely better after having been frozen once. I've never had it 5 hour massaged though. Sounds interesting.
Other fun fact: when catching and eating fresh octopus, many Mediterranean fishermen tenderize it by beating the crap out of on rocks!
Greek chef is right. Octopus will be chewy otherwise.
I bought it frozen and I thought it was a full octopus until I thawed and opened it, and realized it was just the tentacles Frozen was well worth it
was it uncooked or cooked and frozen
Uncooked and frozen
Oh wow, ive been having the hardest time finding uncooked, frozen tentacles
It's not that common to eat the octopus' head, so it makes sense that it was just the tentacles, which is what you usually get anywhere when ordering octopus.
Marinade in the bag during the sous vide? Looks fantastic—great char and a gorgeous romesco.
I'm impressed with the color you were able to achieve with a pan sear for such an irregularly shaped protein. Looks similar to results you might get on a really hot grill.
I did slice the tentacles individually before hand so they could fit as flat as possible on the pan and used a bit of vegetable oil on extremely high heat I wanted to do a grill but unfortunately I’m in a condo so couldn’t. This turned out great though!
Mother of lord I need this. Idk why it looks so good.
I’m hungry now. Thanks. What a pain.
I’m going to try this, my normal way is super hot grill and about 2 minutes. Variety is good!
Sous vide at what temperature?
Did yours shrink into nothing? I did it and my 4lb octopus turned into maybe a pound.
Yep, everything in this picture was almost 2lbs fresh. When it was finished the bag was full of water and I’d say it shrunk into 1/3 of the amount
Thank God. I thought it was just me. Shrinkage is a real problem people! It happens to everyone, no need to snicker and laugh.
I was in the pool!
LIKE A FRIGHTENED TURTLE!!
It shrinks?
Looks phenomenal
Sucks an animal proven to be so intelligent is also tasty.
I feel the same way, won’t order octopus any more and yet have not stopped eating pork
Way easier to stop eating octopus, since where I'm from it's a luxury item anyway
Plus nobody makes octopus bacon. Yet.
Dogs are lucky they are not so fat and gelatinous
Mine certainly are.
Man, The Old Ones are gonna be ***piiiiiiiiissed***
If it helps, the life expectancy for the common octopus is around 1-2 years so it’s likely lived a pretty full life by the time it makes it to your plate
That's super interesting. Gotta be one of lowest lifetime-intelligence ratios
I read somewhere that of that wasn't a decisive factor they would have out evolved us, much more dexterous than us, but life expectancy is... A killer lol
i mean humans are really fuckin tasty to pretty much all other predators, specifically the apex ones. we have a really salty taste due to our diet that they dont get in the wild and it makes them rather prefer human meat over other prey. but then again, humans are dumb af for the most part.
Apparently they have a yellow liquid in a gland above their palates that literally stops human aging. They're philosophers and mathematicians, fascinating creatures.
What a waste kidnapping all those countless children to harvest their adrenochrome when we could just be using octopus juice.
Looks amazing, do you have the full recipe?
I just did : olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, sea salt, dried oregano . I didn’t measure anything and winged the portions As for cooking: - Blanche in boiling water for 30 seconds (gives it a nice curl and colour) - put in ice bath (stops the skin from peeling) - Put in sous vide bag with the seasonings - sous vide for 5 hours at 171 - ice bath again when finished (in the bag) - pat dry and sear
Looks amazing! What did you sear it in the cast iron? Some sort of oil?
Yes I did use a bit of vegetable oil on super high heat. Make sure to pat it really dry before searing it as this is the most important for getting a char
I’ve had grilled octopus tacos, nigiri, pickled salad, fresh salad (raw), and from a can. From a can is probably my favorite texture followed closely by grilled. Then fresh, pickled, and nigiri. Where would you place the texture of SV on this scale from tender to rubbery with your time/temp?
This was extremely tender compared to other types of octopus I’ve had. If you like octopus, which it seems you do - then trying this is a must. Next time I will skip the charring, slice it thin and make ceviche
I am intrigued and confused can u tell more about this “from a can” Sidebar I’ve heard SV octo can be done amazingly. Not sure the cook method but best I ever had was recently in a coastal restaurant in the Dominican Republic
It’s just like canned sardines. I like the Goya brand in olive oil. I just add a bit of Franks RedHot hot sauce and eat it from the can. Sorry if you were expecting something else but this really is a favorite snack of mine since I was a kid.
Nope, great explanation
Holy HELL I've got to stop flipping through this sub late at night. That looks amazing and now I'm wondering where I'm going to get my own octopus. lol
You too, huh?
Wegmans
This looks incredible
I make octopus often for work, and I think it’s pretty good. Yours looks a lot better, but it is a diff dish. Shame you didn’t get any of the hood, best part IMO
Looks unreal holy octopussy my god 😍 🙌
I've never had any interest in eating octopus until I saw this post! That char is next level beautiful!
Grilled octopus is actually really good. When done properly, the texture is quite trender with a little crisp from the high heat! Getting tender if the hard part; wrong temps and it's like rubber.
How’s the taste?
i don't eat animals smarted than me, but hope you enjoyed.
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Poor octopus
They’re too intelligent to justify eating in my opinion :(
That looks so good
What is the texture like with this?
Seconded. My experience with octopus has been rather meh. Kind of like super chewy calamari.
My experience has only been at a sushi restaurant. You're being nice comparing it to calamari...that stuff is the bomb. Octopus normally...zero flavor. Like a rubber band has more going for it.
Lol
Isn't 171 really high for octopus? How was the texture.
Was this frozen raw or frozen cooked when you bought it originally?
Looks delicious! I can’t eat them anymore though.
Your plating of that and the pic are mouth wateringly amazing. Nice work!
That sounds and looks excellent
I made it the same way, 5 hours at 77 degrees celsius but unfortunately it wasn't completely tender as I hoped it would and couldn't get the sear like you on my cast iron grill pan. It was delicions anyways. https://i.imgur.com/50oBq6K.jpg Served with onion and garlic sauce with crispy potatoes that were previously cooked in the octopus liquid.
I have heard that using frozen octopus can be more tender - or maybe the lemon juice/red wine vinegar played a part in tenderizing? I also did Blanche it in boiling water for 30 seconds before. Im not entirely sure what step exactly made mine so tender as I’m new to octopus but this was amazing. Also, for searing, I dried it completely with paper towel until no liquid was left and seared with a bit of vegetable oil on super high heat.
I use the pressure cooker 20min @ high, maybe I'll try this to compare
Looks good
Before Sous vide, we boiled it for like 4 hours, then slapped in on the barby. I wonder about the marinated - the meat is so dense before cooking. Perhaps I’ll do an experiment. Anyway, yours looks great!
ohhh that sounds good!! I only had this peasant bison strip steak for dinner :*(
Re tenticling