Whole Spanish Octopus

Sourced from the sun-drenched coast of Spain and Morocco, this is a highly desired premium octopus. The warm waters lend to a higher fat content and better yield, making Spanish octopus notably sweet and tender. The key to perfectly delicious octopus is to first tenderize it by cooking it. (Also, it’s easier to work with octopus after it’s cooked because raw octopus is quite slippery!) You can find all kinds of tips and tricks online, but boiling octopus is practically foolproof. In a large pot, submerge the octopus in water. Set on high heat, bring water to a boil, then lower heat to simmer. Cook for about one hour or until the thickest part of a tentacle pierces easily with a knife. Once the octopus is cooked, cut off the tentacles where they converge on the body, and remove the hard beak and eyes. At this point you have a few options: serve the octopus while it’s still warm; chill for later use in cold preparations such as sashimi, sushi, crudo and seafood salads; or pan sear or grill it. Serving suggestions… -Dress seared, grilled or chilled octopus with olive oil, garlic, spices, herbs, lemon, etc. -Make octopus salad (you’ll find countless variations online!) -Slice for octopus carpaccio or crudo