Boiled octopus, very tender and tasty, perfect both as a main course and as an appetizer. Its hallmark is the simplicity of the seasoning, which enhances its flavor. The most important thing, besides quality, is the freshness of the octopus. For a perfect cook you should calculate the cooking time based on the weight of the octopus: 30 minutes per 1.1 lb (500 g); if you use a pressure cooker the time is reduced to 15 minutes per 1.1 lb (500 g). The secret to making it even more flavorful and tender is to let it cool in the cooking water and not drain it as soon as it’s cooked. You might also be interested in other recipes with octopus, or baby octopus and OCTOPUS CARPACCIO, OCTOPUS STEW, GRILLED OCTOPUS. Now let’s see how to prepare boiled octopus and if you try it let me know. Barbara
I also recommend trying these octopus recipes:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to prepare Boiled Octopus
- 2.2 lbs Octopus
- 2 leaves Bay leaf
- to taste Salt
- to taste Pepper
- to taste Extra virgin olive oil
- lemon
How to make boiled octopus
Let’s begin preparing the boiled octopus. Pour water into a pot, add the bay leaves and bring to a boil. While the water is heating, clean the octopus: remove the eyes, the beak and the internal organs, and wash it very well under running water.
When the water is boiling, lower the octopus into the pot holding it by the head and make the tentacles curl by quickly lowering and lifting the octopus in the boiling water 2 or 3 times until you see the tentacles curl.
Cover the pot with a lid and cook the octopus. In my case it took one hour because it was 2.2 lbs (1 kg). To check if it’s done, test with a fork: if it goes in easily it’s cooked; otherwise continue cooking a little longer.
When cooking is complete, turn off the heat and let the octopus cool in the pot. Once cooled, remove it from the water and cut it into pieces. Place it in a bowl and dress with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Your boiled octopus is ready to serve.
How to store boiled octopus
Store it in the refrigerator for 2 days.
