Octopus
Octopus (oktapus) in Greek meaning “eight footed”.
Octopus is a characteristic motif of ancient greeks adopted to express their worship of the sea and life in the sea. Octopuses are incredibly old with the earliest known fossil dating back 296 million years.
The traditional way used by fishermen for centuries to enjoy a delicious and tender octopus involves bashing 100 times on a rock, massaging the tentacles with seawater to tenderise the flesh, and hanging in the sun for 3-4 days.
Bring back memories of the delicious, tender, full of Greek summer aromas, melt in the mouth BBQ octopus by preparing it as follows:
Place ideally fresh one kg octopus (or de-frozen) in a baking tray, add a couple of bay leaves, some black peppers, 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, and 1 tbsp good quality vinegar.
Cover the tray with aluminum foil and bake for one hour in a preheated oven (fan) at 180 C or 350 F.
Once ready drain the juice, cut the tentacles, place on a grill pan over high heat, sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil, and cook for a couple of minutes on each side.
Enjoy with a glass of ouzo and dream of your next trip to Greece!