The market · Fish and seafood · Southern Europe, East Asia

Octopus

All muscle, so it's tough unless cooked long and slow — after which it's tender, sweet and meaty, and takes the char of a hot grill.

sweet · meaty · tender when cooked long

What to do with it

Classics built on it
GalicianPulpo a la gallegaBoiled octopus cut into rounds with scissors, dressed with olive oil, pimentón and coarse salt, on a wooden plate.No one here has made it yet

Goes with

paprikapotatoolive oillemon

Knowing it

Where to buy
Fishmongers, and Spanish, Greek and Japanese suppliers. Frozen whole octopus is reliable.
Worth knowing
Simmer it gently, never boiling hard, until a skewer slides into the thickest tentacle with no resistance — 45 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on size. Let it cool in the liquid, then grill or plancha it hot for colour. For pulpo a feira, dip it three times into boiling water so the tentacles curl before simmering.

Kitchens that keep it in

Galicia — Spain's green, rainy north-west corner, on the Atlantic above PortugalGalicianSpain's great seafood coast — octopus, mussels, scallops and barnacles — with a green, rainy inland of pork, turnip tops, soft cows' milk cheeses and pies baked to share.6 classics

More fish and seafood

Fish and seafoodAnchoviessalty, savoury, brinysavouryrichsalty1 classicFish and seafoodBottargabriny, waxy, rich, ambersavouryrichsaltyNot cooked here yetFish and seafoodCrabssweet, briny, delicate3 classicsFish and seafoodCuttlefishsweet, dense, brinyNot cooked here yet