Simmer octopus gently in water with a cork, bay and wine for 45 to 60 minutes until a knife slides into the thickest part. Cool, dry, oil, then char over a fierce bed of coals for 2 to 3 minutes a side. Dress with lemon, oil and oregano.
Full chimney, hot bed, grate close to the coals. This stage is short and needs maximum heat.
Method
Simmer, do not boil
Put the octopus in a large pot with the onion, bay, peppercorns, wine and enough water to cover. Bring to the barest simmer and hold it there. A rolling boil tightens the muscle and is the most common way this dish gets ruined.
Cook until a knife slides in
45 to 60 minutes for a 3 to 4 lb octopus, longer for a larger one. The test is a thin knife pushed into the thickest part of a tentacle where it meets the head: it should meet no resistance. Undercooked octopus cannot be rescued on the grill.
Cool in the liquid
Take the pot off the heat and let the octopus cool in its own cooking liquid for at least 30 minutes. It reabsorbs moisture and seasoning as it cools, and cooling it in air instead makes it noticeably drier.
Separate and dry
Cut the tentacles from the head. Pat everything completely dry. Any surface moisture becomes steam on the grill and prevents charring.
Oil and char hard
Toss the tentacles in olive oil and salt. Lay them over a hot bed of coals. Two to three minutes a side, no more, until the edges blister, the suckers crisp and there are genuinely blackened patches. You are adding texture and smoke, not cooking it further.
Dress immediately
Straight onto a plate. Heavy olive oil, a great deal of lemon, oregano crushed between your fingers, coarse salt. Paprika if you want the Galician version. Serve warm rather than hot.
Notes worth knowing
- Frozen octopus is genuinely better than fresh here. Ice crystals rupture the muscle fibres, which does the tenderising work for you.
- The cooking liquid is excellent. Reduce it and use it in a seafood rice or stew.
- Do not skip the drying step. Wet octopus on coals steams grey instead of charring.
Common questions
Does the wine cork trick actually work?
There is no evidence for it. The tradition is widespread in Mediterranean kitchens and it does no harm, so cooks keep doing it. The gentle simmer and the long cook are what actually tenderise octopus.
Can I grill octopus without simmering it first?
No. Octopus is dense collagen that needs an extended cook in moisture to break down. A few minutes over coals will only make it tighter.
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