If the title alone scared you off, you probably won’t enjoy the contents of this post. What I’m about to say (write?) will probably sound quite odd to some of you, but I imagine some of you may nod along in agreement. Or, maybe not…
Octopus is among my very favorite foods. Like, top 10 or maybe even top 5. I love the texture, the sweet-briny flavor, the look of it, everything. Until now I’d never attempted cooking it, usually relying on places like the Ravenous Pig (I know, I’m kind of obsessed) or Kefi—where they artfully prepare the squiggly seafood. But I saw some at Whole Foods and declared it was time to learn to make it myself.
Apparently baby octopus is like baby squid: you either have to cook it superfast, or braise it for a long time. I chose the quick option, since I like octopus best when it has just enough bite to be on the good side of chewy.
Cooking octopus, I discovered, is not for the squeamish. (Though I suppose eating it really isn’t either…) The tentacles curl and unfurl and wave and wiggle in the pan, as if they are coming back to life. It was great fun, if not a teensy bit unsettling at first, to watch. A fast sear in a very hot pan (or grill, if you can) makes the edges turn almost black and sweet. A slick of olive oil, a generous shower of lemon juice, and a sprinkling of coarse salt is really all it needs to be delicious. Served with some bread, it’s a perfect lunch.
This may not have convinced those of you who find anything with more than 4 legs creepy to eat, but for the brave, I highly recommend it.
