I had octopus for the first time when I was working in NYC. I actually had just given my notice and, on one of my last days, I went out to lunch with a group of my colleagues to the restaurant in Union Square Park. One of my colleagues ordered the octopus and I asked if I could try it, having always been curious how it tasted.
I fell in love.
Fast forward another year and my husband was stationed on a project down in Maryland Monday through Friday. He rented an apartment across the water from Alexandria, so occasionally I would go down to spend a weekend with him rather than him drive home. Our favorite restaurant in Alexandria was Hank’s Oyster Bar. We have always had awesome meals there!
Hank’s is where I had octopus a second time. And they prepared it in a similar way as to how I recreate it here. Served with new potatoes and green beans and drizzled with a light citrus glaze. It was amazing. Since then, I have had octopus more times than I can count. A Tuscan style Italian restaurant near us has made many versions of octopus appetizer dishes that we always love.
Octopus is generally served as an appetizer with two tentacles per dish. But, it makes for an amazing dinner at home. The recipe calls for two tentacles per person, as the potatoes and green beans will more than satiate you. But, if you’re craving some extra octopus, either get a large octopus or buy two octopi!
If you google how to tenderize octopus, you will find a million and one opinions on the “best” way to ensure it is tender. Do not over complicate this for yourself. Octopus is super easy. Actually, octopus and squid are very similar when trying to achieve tenderness. I do not tenderize my octopus in a vinegar bath nor do I cook it in wine with the magic wine cork that allegedly ensures that the octopus gets tender. Utter rot in my book.
Just like squid, cooking octopus low and slow in liquid ensures it reaches a perfect tenderness. For octopus, because of the size, I opt to simmer it in very salty water for an hour. From here, the octopus is cooked and perfectly tender. Some people remove the skin of the octopus before tenderizing. I suggest cooking it first because it turns the skin purplish, making it easier to see what needs to be rubbed off. Just be careful not to pop off the suckers! Those are the best parts!
I start the potatoes about halfway through preparing the octopus. But, because the octopus is fully cooked and tender by the time it is done simmering, you could easily do this step the day before and just refrigerate the octopus until ready to prep the rest of your dinner. And don’t underestimate how much time it can take to rub off all of the skin! So, with the potatoes, preheating the oven around the halfway mark of simmering the octopus should time you about right!
Right before you are ready to serve, grill the octopus. You don’t need to work about the tenderness anymore. Now you just need to heat it through and get nice grill marks on both sides. I love the citrus glaze drizzled over everything! It makes this dish feel and taste so light and fresh! And, I have to say, Hank’s would be proud. This was a pretty damn good recreation of their octopus dish… definitely since it’s been a good 5 years since I had it!
Have questions about cooking octopus? Post questions in the comment section below or DM me on Instagram!
Enjoy!
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Citrus Glazed Octopus with New Potatoes & Green Beans
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: seafood, dinner, appetizer
Ingredients
Octopus
1 – 3 to 4 lb octopus
kosher salt
Potatoes
1½ lbs small new potatoes, halved
2 TBs olive oil
salt
juice of 1 lemon
handful cilantro, minced
2 TBs butter
6 garlic cloves, minced
Green Beans
½ lb fresh green beans
2 TBs olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
salt
Citrus Glaze
½ a naval orange, zested & juiced
1 lime, zested & juiced
2 TBs olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
1 TB Dijon mustard
pinch of salt & pepper
Instructions
Tenderize the Octopus
Fill a large pot with water and season generously with water ~ you want it as salty as the ocean. Bringing the water to a boil over medium heat. Using tongs, dip the octopus into the water and blanch 3 times, meaning lift the octopus completely out of the water and dip back into the water 3 times to get the tentacles to curl up.
Place the octopus back in the water and reduce the heat to low. Let the octopus simmer for one hour, or until tender. Remove from the water and cool under cold tap water. Cut the head off of the octopus. Turn the octopus over and carefully remove the beak, cutting in a circle around the inside of the tentacles. Slice the tentacles to separate into 8 pieces.
With a clean kitchen cloth, gently rub each tentacle to remove the purplish skin off of each piece. Be careful rubbing over the suctions in order to not pop them off. Place on a plate and set aside.
Make the Potatoes
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and toss with your hands to full coat. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Melt the butter and mix with the garlic cloves. Pour over the potatoes and stir to coat. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until fork tender.
Remove from the oven and scoop the potatoes into a bowl. Pour over the lemon juice and add the cilantro. Toss to combine.
Make the Green Beans
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the green beans and stir to coat in the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and sauté until lightly charred. Add the minced garlic and cook an additional minute or two.
Grill the Octopus
In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice & zest, lime juice & zest, olive oil, shallots, Dijon mustard, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
Lightly spray your grill rack with a high temperature, nonstick vegetable oil. Heat the grill up over medium flame until hot and about 400°F. Grill the octopus until heated through ~ about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Place the octopus in a bowl and drizzle with enough of the citrus glaze to coat the octopus when tossed.
Plate the potatoes, octopus, and green beans, drizzling over additional citrus glaze as desired. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Keywords: octopus, how to make tender octopus, boiled octopus, grilled octopus, baked new potatoes, citrus glaze, citrus seafood, citrus octopus, octopus and potatoes
