Tender Grilled Octopus with the Double-Cooking Method
Grilled octopus made with the double-cooking method: first simmered until tender, then marinated and grilled for a crisp crust. A light, summery seafood main course with real wow factor.
Are you looking for tender grilled octopus, the kind with a crisp crust on the outside and soft, juicy flesh inside, without the risk of ending up with a rubbery bite?
Then this recipe is for you. I will show you, step by step, the double-cooking method: first you simmer the octopus slowly until it turns tender, then you marinate it and lay it on a hot grill to give it colour and aroma. It is a light yet eye-catching summer seafood main course that brings all the flavour of the coast to your table.
The best part is that this dish has at least three real advantages: it is naturally gluten-free and lactose-free, it can be prepared ahead up to the marinating stage, and it always makes an impression when you have guests. The double cooking is the true secret to tenderness, because grilling alone would only toughen the tentacles.
One detail that makes a difference: let the octopus cool in its own cooking water, so it stays moist and loses fewer fibres. If you want to follow tradition, drop a wine cork into the water, as many cooks swear it helps soften the flesh.
Serve the tentacles hot, straight off the grill, with their marinade, a squeeze of lemon and a few boiled potatoes alongside. Any leftovers are excellent warm, sliced into a salad with celery and olives the next day.
Ready? Let’s get started with the grilled octopus recipe.
Steps
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Hold the octopus by the head and dip the tentacles into the boiling water three times, so they curl, then lower it in completely.
- Cook over gentle heat for 40-45 minutes, until tender (a fork goes in without resistance). Turn off the heat and let it cool in its own water: it stays softer this way.
- Drain the octopus, pat it dry and divide it into tentacles. Prepare a marinade with oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, vinegar, salt and pepper, and let them marinate for about an hour.
- Heat a grill or griddle well and cook the tentacles for about 8 minutes, turning them, until a golden, crisp crust forms.
- Serve them hot with the marinade, another squeeze of lemon and, if you like, a few boiled potatoes.
Helpful tips
Double cooking is the key: first simmer for tenderness, then grill for the crisp crust.
Let the octopus cool in its cooking water: it stays much more tender.
A traditional trick: add a wine cork to the water while the octopus simmers.
Lovely warm too, in a salad with potatoes, celery and olives.
Average nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 4.0 g
- Sugars
- 1.0 g
- Protein
- 26.0 g
- Fat
- 7.0 g
- Saturated fat
- 1.2 g
- Fiber
- 0.0 g
- Sodium
- 480 mg
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