The grilled octopus is a simple seafood main course that everyone will enjoy…light, especially in the summer season. As I have mentioned in other recipes, in Bari, octopus can be found in all fish markets already curled, this process done right after fishing makes it very tender, so it doesn’t need much cooking time, but it will still be tender and not overcooked in a short time. If this is not possible, simply dip the tentacles a few times in boiling water to curl them. For the preparation of this recipe, the octopus will first be boiled and then grilled for a few minutes and seasoned only with a lemon, oil, pepper, and salt emulsion, but if you want, you can also add some chopped parsley. With octopus cooked this way, I recommend enjoying it stuffed in a nice sandwich, like the classic and legendary Bari-style octopus sandwich. So, all that’s left is to taste it!!

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Medium
Preparation time: 20 Minutes
Portions: 3 People
Cooking methods: Boiling, Stove
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

2.2 lbs octopus
1 lemon
oil
salt
pepper

Tools

Pan
Grill Pan

Steps

First, remove the central tooth from the octopus, then cut the head and remove the skin. Decide if you want to grill it or use it to make a sauce for pasta as I did.
Fill the pan with water and bring it to a boil; once it boils, dip the octopuses directly if they are already curled, otherwise submerge the tentacles first a couple of times.
The cooking time may vary depending on the size of the octopus; for 2 octopuses of about 500 g each, 30 minutes will be enough. To check if they are cooked, always do the fork test; if it goes in easily, you can finish the cooking.
When the octopuses are cooked, let them cool in the cooking water, then cut them by separating all the tentacles.
Prepare the citronette with oil, lemon, pepper, and a pinch of salt, and emulsify.
Pour the citronette over the octopus, covering all the tentacles well, cover with plastic wrap, and marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature (even longer is not a problem).
After the resting time, heat the grill pan, and when it’s very hot, place the marinated tentacles, keeping aside the emulsion left on the plate because it will be needed to season them again after cooking. Cook them for 3 minutes on each side.
Place them on a serving plate and season them with the emulsion you had set aside.
The grilled octopus is ready!! Wow!!