Grilled Octopus Recipe

Clean and tenderize

If whole octopus is not pre-cleaned, remove beak and ink sac and rinse well. For improved tenderness, lightly freeze overnight and thaw before using or pound tentacles gently with a meat mallet.

Poach octopus

In a large pot bring 2 liters water, white wine, quartered onion, bay leaves, 3 crushed garlic cloves, peppercorns and 1 tablespoon kosher salt to a gentle simmer. Submerge the octopus head-first. Maintain a low simmer (do not boil) and cook until the thickest part of the tentacles are tender when pierced with a knife, 40–60 minutes depending on size. Test after 35 minutes. Turn octopus once or twice during cooking to ensure even cooking.

Cool and reserve cooking liquid

When tender, remove octopus and let cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Reserve 250 ml of the cooking liquid to adjust fava puree if needed. Trim head if desired and separate tentacles into manageable pieces (3–4 per octopus). Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Season and grill

Preheat a grill or heavy grill pan to high heat (very hot). Toss octopus with 2 tablespoons olive oil, smoked paprika (if using), 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Grill tentacles 2–3 minutes per side until charred at the edges and smoky aroma develops; avoid overcooking to keep interior tender. Remove from grill and let rest 2 minutes. Finish with a light drizzle (about 1 tablespoon) of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.

Soak and cook favas

If using dried fava beans, place 200 g in a bowl and cover with cold water, soak 4–8 hours or overnight. Drain. In a saucepan combine soaked (or fresh) favas with 750 ml water, 1 crushed garlic clove and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until very tender, 25–40 minutes. If beans still have tough skins, remove skins after cooking by pinching each bean — optional but yields a silkier puree.

Blend to puree

Drain favas, reserving up to 125 ml cooking/stock if needed. Transfer beans to a blender or food processor with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 garlic clove (if you want more garlic flavor add here instead of cooking), 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Purée until very smooth, adding reserved cooking liquid or stock 1–2 tablespoons at a time to reach a thick but spreadable consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Keep warm

Keep the fava purée warm in a covered bowl, or reheat gently before plating. The texture should be creamy enough to spread on a plate but not runny.

Prepare vinaigrette

In a blender or using an immersion blender, combine 40 g packed flat-leaf parsley, 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil, 15 ml red wine vinegar, 1 minced shallot, 1 tablespoon chopped capers, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon honey (optional), 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Blend until emulsified but still bright green and slightly textured. Taste and adjust acidity or salt.

Finish

If vinaigrette is too thick, thin with up to 1 tablespoon water or extra olive oil. Keep refrigerated if not using immediately; bring to room temperature before dressing the plate.

Plate

Spread roughly 2–3 tablespoons of warm fava purée in the center of each plate to form a bed. Place grilled octopus pieces over the purée (divide tentacles evenly for 4 servings).

Dress and finish

Drizzle about 1–2 tablespoons of parsley vinaigrette over the octopus and around the plate. Scatter microgreens or baby arugula atop, finish with flaky sea salt (about 1/8 teaspoon per plate), an extra drizzle of olive oil (about 1/2 tablespoon divided), lemon wedges at the side, and a final crack of black pepper.