Grilled Octopus Italian Style with Marinated Artichokes, Roasted Red Peppers, Fresh Lemon and Arugula

Octopus has become very popular over the last 5 years. It looks so intimidating, but really isn’t. It is best to buy frozen octopus, as after it has been frozen, it tends to have a better texture after cooking. Most whole octopus are sold in 4-6 pound packages. The best part is that you can cook the octopus the day before as you will need to simmer it for awhile and then grill it the next day before serving. Grilling is not a requirement, it just adds a smokier flavor and a firmer texture. If it’s winter and you do not have an indoor grill pan. Just toss the cooked legs in olive oil and spices and do not worry about grilling it.

This dish is a classic octopus carpaccio. I recently had a very good version of it at Miami’s Casa Tua and this was my inspiration to create this. There are short cuts if you want to cheat. Costco carries good quality cooked octopus legs, 4 legs for 15.99. This photo used only 4 legs. They go a long way when sliced thin. I included a recipe for the octopus, the marinated artichokes, and the roasted red peppers below, however, if you want to skip some steps and save time, you can certainly buy a jar of marinated artichokes instead. Also, you can also choose to roast your red pepper or buy a jar of roasted red peppers. The recipe below without cheating with the pre-made ingredients is going to take a bit of time, with a prep time of 35 minutes if you make everything from scratch and another 45 minutes of cooking time. If you buy the legs cooked, the artichokes marinated, the roasted red peppers in a jar, then you can put this dish together in 15 minutes.

Included is the recipe for both. The from scratch method as well as the 15 minute last minute cheat.

Prep Time, all ingredients purchased. Marinated Artichokes, Roasted Red Peppers and Cooked Octopus - 15 minutes. Use recipe at end for plating and serving only.

Prep Time all from scratch - 35 minutes prep and 45 minutes cooking (as cooking times overlap)

Serves: 8 as an appetizer

Ingredients for Octopus:

1 4-5 lb. whole octopus, frozen

2 bay leaves

1 Tbs whole peppercorns

1 Tbs salt

¼ cup olive oil

salt, pepper and smoked paprika for sprinkling after cooking

3 whole garlic cloves mashed

1 whole onion, cut into quarters

For plating Octopus Carpaccio:

1 Tbs Olive Oil

Juice from ½ of a lemon

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 lemon cut into eight pieces

Handful of fresh arugula

1 whole roasted red pepper, freshly roasted or 1 rinsed and pat dry from a jar

Directions for Cooking Octopus:

Place the octopus in a large stockpot, cover with water to about 3-4 inches above the octopus. Add all ingredients, except the olive oil. Bring to a roiling boil. Lower the heat when it comes to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes. Place on a countertop, pat dry lightly and let dry for 30-45 minutes. This step can be done the day before and the octopus then refrigerated overnight until ready to serve. Brush the octopus with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and smoked paprika. Grill over high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side over until grill marks form. Slice and serve.

Ingredients for homemade Marinated Artichokes:

1 12 oz frozen bag or one can of baby artichokes quarted

2 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs lemon juice

¼ tsp dried oregano or ½ tsp fresh chopped oregano

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1/4 tsp dried oregano

Directions for Marinated Artichokes:

Drain the canned artichokes, or thaw and rinse the frozen baby artichokes. Toss with all of the ingredients. Set aside. These will keep for a week in your refrigerator.

Directions for Roasting Red Peppers:

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Grease your peppers with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet on the top rack. Roast for 10-15 minutes until the skin is black. Make sure to turn your peppers every 5 minutes so that they turn black evenly. Place roasted red peppers in a paper bag that is sealed so that they steam. When cool, the peel will come off evenly because of this process of steaming in a bag. Cut the pepper in half, remove the seeds and slice thinly to top the octopus carpaccio.

In Mexico, they roast their peppers directly over a gas flame which can be done on your stove if you have gas. Just hold the pepper with tongs over the flame and turn evenly until blackened, then follow the directions for oven roasted peppers.

To Serve the Octopus Carpaccio:

Slice the octopus very thin. Start in the middle laying them out in a small circles and keep adding circles around the smaller circles until you have no more octopus. Drizzle lightly with olive oil (about 1 Tbs will do). Squeeze the juice from ½ of a fresh lemon over the octopus. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the artichokes with the thinly sliced roasted red pepper and place in the middle of the plate. Top with a handle of arugula randomly placed over it all. Serve with lemon slices.