Tutorial

• A couple of tips on cooking octopus that have nothing to do with the famous cork stopper:
  – Freezing relaxes the muscle fibers and the octopus becomes more tender, so use a frozen or previously frozen octopus or, if you buy it fresh, freeze it (one night is enough) and then thaw it before cooking;
  – once cooked, let the octopus cool down in the cooking water; this way the skin will remain intact.
  Finally, one last “secret” from a chef revealed during a TV segment:
  – add some red wine to the octopus cooking water for a perfect texture.
  And, if you have any, add a few bay leaves.

• I usually buy frozen octopus – the ones sold in the supermarket frozen section – or previously thawed at the fish counter.
  If you bought a frozen octopus or froze it after purchase, thaw the octopus by moving it to the fridge the evening before cooking.

  

• In frozen and thawed octopus the head is already gutted while with a fresh octopus you need to remove the innards.
  Rinse the octopus under running water.

• I use an IMCO pot, a precious gift from my mother-in-law, which allows the cooking to continue with the heat turned off.

  In the IMCO pot or in a regular pot, bring plenty of water to a boil: it must completely cover the octopus.
  Dip the octopus into the boiling water 3–4 times (2–3 seconds each time): this step makes the tentacles curl.
  Then fully immerse the octopus in the water.
  Add about one small glass of red wine and – if you have it – a few bay leaves.
  Do not add salt while cooking; it can make the fibers tougher.

  With an IMCO pot
  Cover with the lid and bring to a boil.
  When a stream of steam starts to escape, turn off the heat.
  With a regular pot
  Continue cooking over low heat.
  Regardless of the pot
  Let it cook for 40 minutes (octopus about 2.2–2.6 lb).
  After 40 minutes check doneness by piercing a tentacle with a fork.

  Let the octopus cool down in the cooking water (slowly, at least 30 minutes); in this way the skin will remain intact.
  Remove the octopus from the pot.

  Your octopus soft and tender just right and with intact skin is ready.

  

• You can keep or remove the skin; I only remove the skin where the tentacles attach, where it’s thicker.

• You can use the boiled octopus to prepare:
  – appetizers, first courses and main courses.
  Browse the recipes on the blog.

• Classic light dressing
  – a pinch of salt;
  – a pinch of pepper;
  – chopped parsley;
  – lemon juice;
  – a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
  Dressing with salmoriglio sauce
  – salmoriglio sauce: Sicilian dressing served raw and aromatic, perfect for seasoning fish after cooking.

  

• Plate and serve.

  Enjoy your meal!

• This is a main course that is easy to balance with a source of carbohydrates [bread, pasta or rice preferably whole grain] and vegetables so you can compose a balanced meal or one-dish plate that helps keep blood sugar stable.

• – Octopus salad with potatoes;
  – Octopus salad with vegetables;
  – Mediterranean-style octopus.