Grilled Octopus

Ingredients

• 3 pounds cleaned octopus
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 thyme branches
• 20 peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus to taste
• 1 head garlic, cut in half along its equator
• 3 lemons
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Minced parsley for garnish

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    407 calories; 13 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 52 grams protein; 163 milligrams cholesterol; 1367 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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4 to 6 servings

Preparation

1. Combine octopus, bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic and 1 lemon, cut in half, in saucepan along with water to cover. Turn heat to medium, cover, and bring to boil. Adjust heat so that liquid simmers slowly, and cook until octopus is tender, for 30 to 90 minutes, depending on whether you’re using two smaller octopuses or 1 larger one (check for doneness with point of sharp knife). Drain, discarding everything but octopus. (You can prepare this 24 hours in advance up to this point; cover, and refrigerate octopus.) Set aside.
2. Start charcoal or wood fire, or preheat gas grill; fire should be quite hot. Grill rack about 4 inches from heat source. Cut octopus into large serving pieces, brush it with half the olive oil, and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Grill it quickly until outside browns but inside is not dried out. Cut remaining lemon into wedges.
3. Brush octopus with remaining olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges, hot or at room temperature, garnished with parsley.