What to do with local Octopus

This morning I saw a post on Facebook from an amazing local fish monger, that he had over a thousand pounds of local Octopus in stock. Well I had to share this recipe so everyone had something delicious to make with this one of a kind local specialty.

In a recent cooking class at Great News in Pacific Beach I made a Grouper Ceviche, but let everyone know my true favorite was Octopus for my ceviche.

Unlike most recipes my recipes calls for removing the "skin" from the Octopus after you cook it; removing the off putting texture that it can sometimes have. Make the super tender octopus a star!!

 

 

Octopus Ceviche

Serves 4 to 6

Cooking Octopus:

1                 Octopus, about 3 lb
4                 Green Onions
1/2 bunch   Cilantro
1                 Jalapeno, cut in half
 

1 1/3 cup    Cherry tomatoes (multi colored), quartered

1/2 cup       English Cucumber, finely diced
2                 Jalapenos, seeded & diced
1                 Green onion, diced
1/4 cup       Cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tbsp          Extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup       Tomato ketchup
¼ cup         Tomato juice
¼ cup          Lime juice
Salt & fresh ground black pepper
 

Preheat oven to 200°.

Clean octopus of any innards, ink sack; remove beak and eyes.

Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Add octopus, cover and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 5 minutes.

While the octopus is boiling; using butchers twine to tie together green onions and cilantro (into a bundle).

Place the bundle into a braising dish (with a lid) and top with two halves of jalapeno.

Remove octopus from the water and remove the head.

Place remaining octopus on top of the jalapeno halves and cover with the lid.

Add to the oven and cook for 5 hours; or until soft and tender (test this by cutting into one of the tentacle, a knife should cut easily).

Remove octopus from the oven and cool till room temperature.

Once cool enough to work with; remove fat or “skin”. Using your fingers; run them along the legs stripping off any gelatinous fat exposing the white flesh.

Chop the tentacles into bite-size chunks. 

In a large bowl, stir together tomatoes, cucumber, jalapenos green onions, cilantro, olive oil, ketchup, tomato juice and lime juice. Add octopus and season with salt and pepper. 

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight; before serving with good quality white corn tortilla chips or tostadas.