Preparing and Cooking your Octopus for use in any Recipe, How to Make it Tender


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26 replies
  1. dacca007
    dacca007 says:

    I am from Croatia. catch and cook my own octopus in the summer months every year. I must have cooked octopus 100s of times, so a few things to add/comment:

    1. The cork is a myth and does nothing to cook the octopus faster or tenderize it and that is a FACT….when I was younger I was told by older ppl the same thing "Put the wine bottle cork in the pot, it tenderizes the octopus and reduces the amount of cooking time", but when I asked why, literally no one could explain it and they were just doing it because "someone else told them to do it"…..it is a load of BS and does nothing, I've had the exact same results cooking without it….legend says some drunk dude was pouring wine into the cooking pot when he was cooking octopus and dropped the cork inside by accident. Drunk as he was he thought it actually made it better and the myth started…..the cork is a good conversation topic and that is all, also it means you opened up a bottle of wine while making an octopus dish, THIS I highly recommend 😊

    2. It is ESSENTIAL to deep freeze the bigger (2kg+) octopus for 3-4 days before you cook them….the ice breaks up the octopus tissue and THIS makes them more tender….ICE NOT CORK 😂

    3. I always put the frozen octopus directly in cold water and let it slowly come to simmer rather than dipping it into hot boiling water like this guy….I just dont see the point of it

    4. After the octopus has been boiling for about 30min, I pour about 2-3dcl of red wine into the pot

    5. How you know the octopus is cooked through? I take a big sharp straight edge knife (like the one you would use to chopp onions) and hold the end of the knife handle with the tip of my two fingers and try to cut through the thickest part of the tentacles (just where the tentacles' base is where they join the head) and using only the knife's weight itself (NOT pushing it with my fingers) if it starts going through the meat you know it is cooked and tender like chicken breast

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  2. Tigger
    Tigger says:

    Calm down now, Brot- such high-anxiety tension… 😉
    Ha haaa!! Your voice is so relaxing and reassuring!! Hope you are a teacher 😊
    Thanks so much for the video; tis beautiful and informative.
    Enjoy a gorgeous day, friend ❤️✌️👍👍😎

    Reply
  3. Bryan Lendroth
    Bryan Lendroth says:

    Enjoyed your octopus video! Loved all the little tips and tricks. Question: when I've cooked it in the past, the skin gets very slimy and sticky, and falls off in spots where anything touches it. Do you happen to know why? Does fresh vs frozen (and thawed) make a difference? Thank you!

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  4. locafly
    locafly says:

    Wow! I am loving this information about my Italian roots. Especially the cork and the bread with white vinegar! I love it! However an hour seems pretty long. I didn’t know you could boil octopus for an hour.

    Reply
  5. Paul Candiago
    Paul Candiago says:

    Thank you for the know how.. The house is always open and you can stay as long as you like it. One string attached: bring a good size octopus=polpo. (Don't forget the magic corks, bread and the vinegar will be provided and wine will be on the table. Greetings=Cordiali saluti Paul Candiago (candiago.p@bmts.com)

    Reply

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