On a trip to Galicia, Spain, I had grilled octopus almost every day and realized I actually like it. It’s even better with some roasted potatoes with paprika. Cast iron gives it a great char and takes away the chewiness that I always associated with octopus. But there’s no getting over the fact that it really is still a weird sea creature….
Galician Grilled Octopus
1 octopus, cleaned
1 bay leaf
1 lemon
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
Put the octopus is a pot of water to cover with the bay leaf and half the lemon (squeeze the juice into the water and throw in the rest). Let it simmer for 20-30 minutes, until a knife can be inserted easily, like into a potato.
Cut into pieces and to the olive oil, paprika, and the juice of the other half lemon. This can be done up to a day ahead and let marinate. Then grill the pieces in a pre-heated cast iron pan until they get a char on the outside. Return to the marinade and sprinkle with some parsley to plate.
