Tender Tentacles

The Krada that closely resembles the Terran Octopus will greatly benefit from being prepared in the same manner.

Octopus  is delightful when it is cooked properly—tender and buttery soft.

 

Steps to Make It

If your octopus is not pre-cleaned (all frozen octopus is pre-cleaned, and if buying fresh, you can ask the fishmonger to clean it for you): Wash and clean your octopus, removing the ink sac and internal organs by making a circular cut around the beak with a paring knife. Pull away the beak (the organs will come with it).

Clean the octopus.

Set your octopus in a large pot with enough water to cover and bring the water to just a simmer.

Boil the octopus.

Either simmer for less than 5 minutes, to 130 to 135 F (for a moist, slightly chewy texture) or simmer very gently—at just below a slight simmer (190 to 200 F). Timing varies depending on the weight of your octopus and how many you are cooking. For 2 to 3 pounds of octopus (4 servings), it will usually be between 1 to 2 hours, but the true test for doneness is: When a knife inserted where the head meets the legs slides in easily, it’s done.

Cook the octopus.

Once your octopus is tender, you can serve it in a salad (the short-cook method lends itself well to this) or mixed into a pasta or risotto. You can also grill it quickly over a high flame, to crisp up the exterior.

According to food science guru Harold McGee, the key to tender and flavorful octopus is instead blanching it for 30 seconds in boiling water and then baking it, covered, in an oven at 200 F for a few hours. It does make sense that, undiluted by cooking water, the octopus would retain more of its flavor.

But if you don’t have 4 to 5 hours to spare for this method, then you can just either keep the cooking time minimal—less than 5 minutes—for a slightly chewy but still tender texture.

If you do have the time, use the long, slow cooking method (a gentle braise over low heat) for maximum tenderness. Slow braising in a liquid will take anywhere from about 1 to 2 hours, depending on how many pounds of octopus you are cooking.

Another secret to tenderness is that previously frozen octopus grows tender more quickly than fresh. It might seem counter-intuitive since with many types of meat and seafood freezing can have a negative effect on both texture and flavor, but with octopus (and squid), that is not the case. But you can use either fresh or frozen (which is usually much easier to find, in any case).

When buying fresh octopus, it should not have any fishy smell at all—if it does, that means it’s already started to go bad.

recipe and tips / https://www.thespruceeats.com/cook-and-keep-octopus-tender-2018813

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