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OCTOPUS BASICS
Buying: Whether fresh or frozen, octopus should be intact, with two rows of suction cups on each tentacle. Clean the octopus after purchase and then freeze for best results.
Cooking: Tenderizing this potentially chewy cephalopod is essential, and every culture has its own method. One approach is to simmer the meat in salted water for about an hour.
8 LEGS
Like squid and cuttlefish, octopus are mollusks that can flummox some in the kitchen, but once cooks are past the trepidation, they will find octopus to be a mild, versatile protein with a pleasantly chewy texture and nearly unlimited potential.
AROUND RVA
East Coast Provisions: A classic carpaccio is sliced impossibly thin and dressed with olive oil, lemon, garlic and crushed red pepper.
Sloop John B: Served on flour or corn tortillas, tacos featuring chunks of charred octopus cozy up to slaw and a vibrant mango-habanero sauce.
Stella’s: Two grilled tentacles are tossed in a red wine vinaigrette and served with lemon, reminding us of the merits of simplicity.
Keep your heat low and be patient, and you’ll be rewarded with a versatile protein to enhance your meal.
—Hans Doxzen, chef at Grisette and founder of the pop-up Quarter Horse
Chef Hans Doxzen (Photo courtesy Hans Doxzen)
COOK LIKE A LOCAL
Confit Octopus
By Hans Doxzen, Quarter Horse and Grisette
Chef Hans Doxzen coaxes octopus to a tender place with a soak and a slow simmer. “Octopus requires very gentle heat throughout its preparation to slowly break down its connective tissues, so braising or confit is usually the way to go,” he says. “The flesh is very accepting of aromatics, so throwing in the extra handful of fresh herbs and citrus is definitely worth your while.”
1 whole octopus, washed and patted dry
1 cup olive oil
3 cups canola oil or oil of your choice
1 lemon, sliced into rings
1 orange, sliced into rings
1 2-inch knob ginger, peeled and sliced
4 sprigs rosemary
1 Fresno chile, sliced
(If you’re a bon vivant) flaked sea salt like Maldon
Thank your octopus for joining you in your home. Place it in a deep stock pot and submerge in both oils.
Add the aromatics: lemon, orange, ginger and chile.
Over medium heat, bring the oil up to 225 degrees. Cover the pot with a lid or parchment and let the octopus gently cook in its oil bath for an hour before checking for doneness. Keep checking the temperature of the oil periodically to ensure it does not begin to bubble. Depending upon the size of your octopus, more cooking time may be needed. Be patient, it’s worth it!
When the octopus yields minimal resistance to the tip of your knife, remove from heat and let it rest in its oil bath at room temperature. Once it’s cooled, you’ve got options.
Now that your octopus is nice and tender, you can season it with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper and finish it on your grill or in a cast iron pan on very high heat for some color and char to your liking. Season with fresh squeezed lemon and a little sea salt.
Slice your octopus into medallions and serve over a salad of fresh greens to keep it light or over rice and grilled vegetables for something a little heartier.
