Tender octopus with smoky char, tossed with a bright lemon-olive oil dressing and fresh Mediterranean salad ingredients. Restaurant-style, but totally doable at home.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
Octopus
• 2–2.5 lb (900 g–1.1 kg) octopus (fresh or thawed)
• 2 bay leaves (optional)
• 1 tsp black peppercorns (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves (optional)
• 1/4 cup olive oil (for grilling + dressing)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (plus extra wedges to serve)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt & black pepper, to taste
Salad
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (or 2 tomatoes, chopped)
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cucumber, sliced (optional but great)
• 1/3–1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (or mixed herbs: parsley + dill)
• Optional: Kalamata olives
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Instructions
1) Tenderize and cook the octopus
1. Rinse octopus and remove the beak if needed.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a gentle simmer (no need to salt).
3. Add bay leaves/peppercorns/garlic if using.
4. Add octopus and simmer 45–60 minutes until tender (a knife should slide in easily).
5. Drain and cool slightly. Pat dry.
2) Grill / char
1. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high.
2. Brush octopus with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano, salt, and pepper.
3. Grill 2–3 minutes per side until nicely charred.
4. Slice the tentacles into serving pieces.
3) Make dressing
Whisk together:
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• Salt + pepper
4) Assemble the salad
In a bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cucumber (if using), herbs, and feta. Add grilled octopus. Drizzle dressing and toss gently.
5) Serve
Serve with extra lemon wedges and a little more olive oil if desired.