Sous Vide Octopus Spanish Tapas Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to sous vide octopus? ›

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.

Salting is essential to tenderness, or fatal; brief dips in boiling water tenderize, or long slow cooling, or a rubbing with grated daikon, or the addition of a wine cork to the cooking liquid. Last week I stumbled on a Greek food scientist's report that small amounts of vinegar tenderize octopus.

Most seafoods if you cook it too long, they tend to be rubbery. In other to get it right, you can pre-cook it slightly. For instance, if you cook shrimp, squid or octopus, you boil them in hot water for few seconds (about 20 seconds to 30 seconds or so).

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).

Cook until octopus is tender enough that you can pierce the thick part of a tentacle with a paring knife with little resistance, about 1 hour; keep in mind that this time is a rough estimate, and the octopus may be done sooner or it may take longer, but it will get there. Let octopus cool in the cooking water.

WHY SOUS VIDE? 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 small to medium size best for sauté or stir fry. Overcooking an octopus can make the meat too tough to be edible. To keep the octopus tender, it is recommended that the octopus be turned frequently every 15 minutes. This ensures a better taste and keeps the octopus from becoming too rubbery.

Octopus contains a lot of moisture, some of which can be removed by brining or sun-drying to make the flesh more tender before grilling, barbecuing or pan-frying. Without removing some of the moisture from the flesh, the octopus will take on a chewy and rubbery texture.

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. It's really no different than stewing gristly chunks of beef in a stew; eventually they become soft and tender.

If you buy fresh octopus, you should boil it before searing it in a pan. Raw octopus contains a high amount of collagen that breaks into gelatin when near boiling. Hence, boiling is necessary to extract this gelatin into the water and then discard half of this water to reduce the amount of gelatin in the octopus.

What goes well with octopus? ›

Octopus pairs well with a variety of ingredients, from fresh vegetables and citrus fruits to potatoes and legumes.

Grilling fresh octopus is a simple way to make this ingredient shine. A braise in boiling water beforehand will tenderize the meat and make it ready to absorb any marinade. The char of the grill amps up its taste and its tender-yet-chewy texture, making octopus a versatile appetizer, side dish, or main.

Add the octopus to boiling water (without salt). Once the water comes back to a boil, cook for 15 minutes, uncovered, on medium heat for a 2-pound octopus. Then allow to rest off the heat for 15 to 20 minutes with the pot covered. For each additional pound of octopus, add 3-5 minutes to the cooking and resting times.

Fill a saucepan with salted water and bring to the boil. Add the octopus, reduce the heat immediately and simmer gently for 45–60 minutes. It's important that the water is turned down to a gentle simmer once the octopus is in the pan. Cooking it too quickly will result in a rubbery texture.