How can you tenderize an octopus before cooking?

Question

I have overheard that freezing an octopus can help in tenderizing it prior to cooking. Is there any truth to this, and how does it work?

Answer 1

Portuguese here. The third method is widely used here and, as you mentioned, there's quite a bit of liquid left at the end of the cooking process. What we usually do is use the liquid (and some leftover pieces of octopus) to make rice – we use a type of rice called Carolino, but it could also work with Bomba or Carnaroli. We blend the onion, garlic, and tomato, and add a few spoonfuls at the end for extra creaminess, along with cilantro and a touch of lemon.

Comments

Interesting! Will try that. Will

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That sounds delicious!

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My in-laws serve octopus with rapini.

Answer 2

One of the best cooking channels. I love this. No too loud music, no long intros, just plain content from 2 nice pro chefs and actually showing secrets from professionals to other (less experienced) chefs / amateur chefs.

Answer 3

I work at the nicest restaurant in my area, we just earned a star! I grew up watching The Food Network religiously, and I've collected an insane amount of subscriptions to cooking/culinary channels over many years; I can say with absolute certainty that you guys are the cream of the crop. I see a lot of other people saying similar things, and you guys should take it all seriously.

This industry can be really tough. Burnout can hit like a truck and leave you stressed, depressed, and full of bitterness. But when you see someone making works of art like this, sharing their craft freely, having such consistent drive and presence. It's inspiring.

You guys probably don't realize how much you mean to a lot of other culinary artists. When I settle down to read a new content at the end of the day, you guys always manage to remind me just how much I love working with food.

Answer 4

I love cooking, in many years of reading cooking content I feel obliged to say, this is both the best cooking channel I have ever seen and also my favourite. Love you guys!

Answer 5

Fun fact: I usually drink beer in the same exact spot where the guy at the start of the content was smashing the octopus, its called Chiringuito, located in Bari (Italy), actually a very cool place to chill (not for the octopus apparently)

Comments

Goody here's a gumdrop to suck on.

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Lucky you !!

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He said Greece.

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it's not the only place where octopus are smashed, ot was just an example; that spot is in Bari, Italy

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holy shit, a left voter. "the tv said something, it must be right and everyone else is automatically lying."

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arguing with a person who is from a place you’ll never afford to go is wild.

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The octopi seem to have a smashing time though

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bringing politics into everything is pathetic. I hope life gets better for you

Answer 6

I'm a software developer and it just clicked to me what you guys are - you're open source chefs

Comments

True, as a home chef, these guys are giving me the source code

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*Open sauce

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he really fumbled a homerun here smh...

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yeah my dad saw this thread and disowned me

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nice

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I'm more of a front end chef then. Some are full stack: farm to table chefs

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Brilliant !

Answer 7

The old carpaccio of Octopus, what a belter of a dish. I will say I've never seen it put on a flat bread like that, that's a little stroke of genius

Answer 8

This is the best thing you’ve done yet! Love it! More octopus stuff please! Maybe with ideas for sides and such would be nice?

Answer 9

Incredible!! PLEASE release a recipe book it’ll sell like crazy!!

Comments

I could see their book being like the Noma Guide to fermentation that is in 50% of my friends' houses (so many of us are current or former chefs/cooks).
They've just got a pragmatic and clean way of doing things. A bit too French sometimes for my preferences when I cook for myself, but I can tell everything would be absolutely delicious.

Answer 10

Hey Fallow,thanks for the beautiful tips again.

A nice method which we use in Greece a lot is basically a pot of a good portion of white wine and white vinegar usually 3/1,but you can always play around it.(you want the liquids to cover around half the octopus more or less)

Get some bay leaves in there and couple of allspice and salt,seal with a lid or use aluminium foil to cover up and it should be ready in a low-mid temp.

Answer 11

First tried Octopus when on Holiday in Crete over 30 years ago and absolutely loved it.

Comments

I remember seeing octopus hung up to dry on the islands there, never tried it though, but it's a vivid memory

Answer 12

I can understand people being hesitant. Pork and beef, when you get it at a restaurant is so far removed from the initial butchering that at least to me, my mind doesn't associate it with the animal. Octopus, whole fish and seafood is kind of "here is the animal, eat it". I would love to try octopus as I have never had it living in the middle of US, No one really serves it. Thanks for all your awesome content!

Comments

And yet, pigs won't hesitate to eat humans when given the opportunity

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is a superfood.

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why follow a very meat protein forward restaurant like Fallow?

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100% chances that it was overcooked. Well cooked it's tender and full of flavor.

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Just sounds like a goofy white person

Answer 13

That octopus pizza thingy looked amazing.

Answer 14

Chef. That big tin hack is insane! Thanks a bunch ❤
Terrine season pending

Answer 15

The best cooking channel, learned so much with every content. Amazing content, thank you so much!

Answer 16

Hey guys, So in the restaurant where I work we do something similar to your third method. We seer the octo in a large rondo with pink + black peppercorns, garlic, herbs like thyme and bay leaf. After we get a nice seer we add red wine and some halved lemons, cover the rondo with parchment and aluminum foil and let it braise for about an hour. We take it off the heat and let it soak in the juice for another hour. After we separate the legs and clean them of the slimy skin on the sides. Then for service we char them on the grill and plate them over an artichoke salad.

Answer 17

As a Portuguese it is my absolute favorite sea food when I'm with my family on vacation
Just grilled and served with some good ol potatoes greens and olive oil drizzled on top - what a soul food I can assure you

Answer 18

that little smile just before content ended was priceless

Answer 19

I learned dozens of techniques from this content. Thank you!

Comments

You've read dozens of techniques

Answer 20

As a Greek foodie, I approve. You were respectful of the ingredient, you followed the traditional cooking methods that enhances flavour instead of diluting or covering it up with spices. Grilling over charcoal is better as the last step though.