Sous Vide Octopus Spanish Tapas is very tender, and simply seasoned with garlic and smoked paprika for the perfect tapas. I’m a bit obsessed with octopus – how to prepare it so it is super tender. I’ve read articles that suggest many different ways to cook octopus until tender. These methods include beating the octopus against rocks until tender, freezing octopus, adding vinegar when cooking, and adding a wine cork to the braising liquid. Some people slow cook octopus, others pressure cook it.
Recently, I tried making sous vide octopus to see whether or not this method of cooking would yield a tender octopus. I’ve used a pressure cooker to make Greek Grilled Octopus with Rosemary and Thymewith great success (it takes just 10 minutes), so I was curious to see how sous vide octopus would compare.
Octopus can be found in the fresh seafood section of some supermarkets as well as in the freezer section. Handling octopus is definitely not for the squeamish, so you have to really love octopus to make it at home.
To simplify the sous vide method, I simply placed the seasoned octopus in a Ziploc bag with rosemary, garlic, and olive oil.
Using the water displacement method, I sealed the bag once the bag was immersed in the sous vide bath. I used a wet kitchen cloth to keep the bag immersed during the cooking process.
The result? The octopus was evenly cooked through (one of the biggest advantages of sous vide cooking) and tender, but still firm. If you’re a curious cook like me, you will want to try this method and compare it to pressure cooking octopus. It does take more time (5 hours versus 10 minutes), but the octopus cooks unattended. Personally, I think the sous vide octopus was firmer than the pressure cooked octopus, but I like the idea of marinating the octopus in the rosemary olive oil mixture for a longer period of time.
Have you tried sous vide? If so, what is your favorite dish to make?
Print
CourseAppetizer
Prep Time10minutes
Cook Time5hours15minutes
Total Time5hours25minutes
Servings4
Calories127kcal
Ingredients
1baby octopus~ 2 pounds
3tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil, divided
2sprigsrosemary
sea salt
black pepper
3clovesgarlicsliced
smoked Spanish paprika
sea salt
black pepper
1potatopeeled, cooked until tender, cut into bite size pieces
Instructions
Heat sous vide bath to 171 degrees. Season octopus with salt and pepper, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place in Ziploc bag or vacuum seal bag along with rosemary sprigs. Seal bag, squeezing out any excess air.
Remove octopus from bag and pat dry with paper towel. Cut cooked octopus into bite-size pieces.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and garlic in skillet until hot and garlic is lightly browned. Add cooked potato and saute until heated through. Add octopus pieces. Season to taste with smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Toss octopus well.
Nutrition Facts
Sous Vide Octopus Spanish Tapas
Amount Per Serving
Calories 127Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 6mg0%
Potassium 228mg7%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin C 6.8mg8%
Calcium 20mg2%
Iron 1.8mg10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Place octopus pieces in zipper-lock or vacuum bags and seal using the vacuum sealer or the displacement method. Submerge in water and cook for 5 hours. Remove bags, chill rapidly in an ice-water bath, then refrigerate until ready to use.
Pulpo a la gallega is traditionally served in a wooden plate with a base of sliced potatoes, topped with slices of octopus. Season with sea salt, smoked paprika and a good drizzle of quality extra virgin olive oil.
For large octopus (around 5 pounds), boil for a good 8 to 10 minutes. Add a tablespoon of vinegar into the simmering liquid as the acetic acid can help break down the connective tissue in the tentacles. Marinate the octopus overnight in whole milk to help tenderize the meat.
The internal temperature of cooked octopus should measure between 150f (65c) and 160f (71c) when ready to be removed from grill. Don't under cook it! The connective tissue won't start breaking down until 130f (54c).
This collagen makes octopus flesh rubbery, at least initially. With enough heat and time that collagen breaks down into silky and tender gelatin, and the octopus grows tender with it.
Cleaning an octopus is the first step to making exquisite seafood dishes in your own home. Although you can buy pre-cleaned frozen octopus, some fresh octopus is sold without being cleaned. Cleaning an octopus involves removing the internal organs, skin, and beak, leaving the tentacles and body for cooking.
It is a natural process without additives or chemicals. This process breaks down the muscles of the octopus making it tender and delicious,and causing it to curl up like a flower. Spanish flower octopus can be eaten grilled, sautéed, boiled, or cooked in the oven.
This Spanish octopus recipe is delicious and simple. Thinly-sliced octopus rests on a bed of soft, boiled potatoes, generously sprinkled with sea salt and paprika. It's a great tapa to share since you can pick up bits with a toothpick and pop it right in your mouth.
In Portugal and southern Italy, old-school chefs traditionally add wine corks to octopus recipes, claiming that the natural enzymes found in cork help to break down the cephalopod's tough tendons by drawing out moisture (a process similar to that of dry-aging).
Octopus tentacles are rich in collagen, which can make them tough and rubbery when cooked using traditional methods. But the low-and-slow process of cooking octopus sous vide transforms the collagen into gelatin, creating a tender, silky finished texture.
The best thing you can do is to take a rounded wooden stick (or a meat pounder) and to beat it hard, for about 10 minutes, on its the head (the area around the eyes) and on the tentacles all their way long. This operation will stretch the fibres and make the meat tender.
Frozen octopus is cleaned before freezing. If a fresh octopus is uncleaned, you can ask the fishmonger to do it for you. COOKING -- Three pounds of octopus is about right for four people (octopus shrinks startlingly).
Introduction: My name is Greg Kuvalis, I am a witty, spotless, beautiful, charming, delightful, thankful, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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