How to Cook Octopus – Tender & Crisp, Just Like Calamari

Learn how to cook octopus to tender perfection, just like calamari! This recipe features octopus with olives and tomatoes for a crispy, juicy dish. In this video, I share my Sicilian family method for preparing baked octopus that is soft inside, beautifully gratinated on top, and bursting with Mediterranean flavours. Whether you love seafood or are new to octopus, this easy, home-cooked recipe will guide you to perfect results every time.

Welcome back to TortellinoTime! Today, I am making a gratinated octopus dish inspired by my family’s Sicilian traditions. This simple method ensures the octopus is tender and juicy, not rubbery, thanks to careful freezing, slow cooking, and a beautiful topping of golden breadcrumbs, roasted plum tomatoes, green and black olives, garlic, lemon zest, and fresh olive oil.

You will learn exactly how to:
Prepare and clean octopus
Tenderise octopus naturally
Bake octopus in the oven until crisp
Combine Mediterranean ingredients for maximum flavour
This recipe is perfect as a seafood main course (secondo piatto) or a stunning dish to share with friends and family.

FULL INSTRUCTIONS
For a detailed step-by-step guide, download the full PDF here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n4dU_xpwmDCsYJnb5IoG1aZq62-jZkgM/view?usp=sharing

INGREDIENTS
For the Octopus:
500g octopus (cleaned and frozen, then defrosted)
200g plum tomatoes, halved
Green and black olives, pitted and halved
5 dessert spoons breadcrumbs (about 100g)
3 dessert spoons grated Parmesan or Pecorino
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
Zest of 1 lemon
A handful of fresh parsley
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Roasted Vegetables:
3 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced into thick chips
2–3 carrots, peeled and sliced similarly
A handful of grated Parmesan
A few sprigs of fresh rosemary
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh lemon zest (optional)
1 clove of garlic, crushed
Black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
Octopus Preparation:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Dip the octopus in and out 7–8 times until it curls. Gently simmer the octopus for 15 minutes, turn off the heat, and leave it to cool in the water. Drain, chop into bite-sized pieces, and combine with tomatoes, olives, breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, lemon zest, parsley, and olive oil. Spread evenly in a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with extra olive oil.

Roasted Vegetables Preparation:
In a large bowl, mix the potatoes and carrots with olive oil, rosemary, crushed garlic, Parmesan, lemon zest (optional), and black pepper. Spread evenly onto a separate lined tray. Bake at 190°C (fan oven) for about 30 minutes, turning halfway through for even roasting.

Baking:
Place the vegetables in the oven first. After about 5–7 minutes, add the tray of octopus so they finish cooking together. Bake the octopus for about 20–25 minutes, until golden and crisp. Serve warm with the roasted vegetables on the side.

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Grazie mille for watching! 🙏

00:00 – How to Cook Tender Octopus – Introduction
00:24 – Preparing the Octopus for Perfect Texture
00:51 – Cooking and Tenderising Octopus
02:14 – Chopping and Seasoning for Baked Octopus
05:08 – Optional: Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables
07:06 – Baking Tender Octopus and Vegetables
09:05 – Final Result – Tender, Crispy Octopus Like Calamari

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