Little Octopi Suggestions

[Ufimizm]

I was at my local Asian food store and came across some frozen little octopi. Frozen they appear to be about the size of a baseball. I am looking for some tips to make them. I have found a lot of examples where 1 person love's thier technique but dislikes another, and the next person is the exact opposite. Any ideas or tips would be greatly appreciated.

[Magictofu]

In general, there are two ways to treat octopus: slow braising or fast fry.

The easiest way, in my opinion, is to braise the octopus for about 2 hours (maybe less with small ones) then cook them the way you want (e.g. BBQ, yum!).

Grilled octopus salads are great during summer months!

[scubadoo97]

I've only made octopus once and researched McGee's opinion on preperation. He suggested a quick blanch in water followed by a slow braise in a dry pan. The octopus will release a lot of liquid so it will braise in it's own juice.

After the octopus was tender I quickly grilled it for the grill flavor. Worked well.

[Fugu]

Turn the octupus' head inside out to clean and then stuff the tentacles inside the head. Wrap in a muslin and poach in stock until tender. Put a weight on the octopus to compress. Allow to set overnight and slice like a terrine. Serve with favorite vinaigrette. The natural gelatine on the octopus' skin will keep it together. I don't know if it will work with frozen?

Edited August 7, 2008 by Fugu (log)