Sous Vide Octopus Spanish Tapas is very tender, and simply seasoned with garlic and smoked paprika for the perfect tapas. I’m a bit obsessed with octopus – how to prepare it so it is super tender. I’ve read articles that suggest many different ways to cook octopus until tender. These methods include beating the octopus against rocks until tender, freezing octopus, adding vinegar when cooking, and adding a wine cork to the braising liquid. Some people slow cook octopus, others pressure cook it.
Recently, I tried making sous vide octopus to see whether or not this method of cooking would yield a tender octopus. I’ve used a pressure cooker to make Greek Grilled Octopus with Rosemary and Thymewith great success (it takes just 10 minutes), so I was curious to see how sous vide octopus would compare.
Octopus can be found in the fresh seafood section of some supermarkets as well as in the freezer section. Handling octopus is definitely not for the squeamish, so you have to really love octopus to make it at home.
To simplify the sous vide method, I simply placed the seasoned octopus in a Ziploc bag with rosemary, garlic, and olive oil.
Using the water displacement method, I sealed the bag once the bag was immersed in the sous vide bath. I used a wet kitchen cloth to keep the bag immersed during the cooking process.
The result? The octopus was evenly cooked through (one of the biggest advantages of sous vide cooking) and tender, but still firm. If you’re a curious cook like me, you will want to try this method and compare it to pressure cooking octopus. It does take more time (5 hours versus 10 minutes), but the octopus cooks unattended. Personally, I think the sous vide octopus was firmer than the pressure cooked octopus, but I like the idea of marinating the octopus in the rosemary olive oil mixture for a longer period of time.
Have you tried sous vide? If so, what is your favorite dish to make?
Print
CourseAppetizer
Prep Time10minutes
Cook Time5hours15minutes
Total Time5hours25minutes
Servings4
Calories127kcal
Ingredients
1baby octopus~ 2 pounds
3tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil, divided
2sprigsrosemary
sea salt
black pepper
3clovesgarlicsliced
smoked Spanish paprika
sea salt
black pepper
1potatopeeled, cooked until tender, cut into bite size pieces
Instructions
Heat sous vide bath to 171 degrees. Season octopus with salt and pepper, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place in Ziploc bag or vacuum seal bag along with rosemary sprigs. Seal bag, squeezing out any excess air.
Remove octopus from bag and pat dry with paper towel. Cut cooked octopus into bite-size pieces.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and garlic in skillet until hot and garlic is lightly browned. Add cooked potato and saute until heated through. Add octopus pieces. Season to taste with smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Toss octopus well.
Nutrition Facts
Sous Vide Octopus Spanish Tapas
Amount Per Serving
Calories 127Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 6mg0%
Potassium 228mg7%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin C 6.8mg8%
Calcium 20mg2%
Iron 1.8mg10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Place octopus pieces in zipper-lock or vacuum bags and seal using the vacuum sealer or the displacement method. Submerge in water and cook for 5 hours. Remove bags, chill rapidly in an ice-water bath, then refrigerate until ready to use.
Pulpo a la gallega is traditionally served in a wooden plate with a base of sliced potatoes, topped with slices of octopus. Season with sea salt, smoked paprika and a good drizzle of quality extra virgin olive oil.
For large octopus (around 5 pounds), boil for a good 8 to 10 minutes. Add a tablespoon of vinegar into the simmering liquid as the acetic acid can help break down the connective tissue in the tentacles. Marinate the octopus overnight in whole milk to help tenderize the meat.
According to A. J. McClane's _Encyclopedia of Fish Cookery _(Henry Holt, 1977), dipping heats the octopus gradually, so that its proteins break down slowly instead of instantly contracting in reaction to the hot water.
WHY SOUS VIDE? Octopus tentacles are rich in collagen, which can make them tough and rubbery when cooked using traditional methods. But the low-and-slow process of cooking octopus sous vide transforms the collagen into gelatin, creating a tender, silky finished texture.
Pulpo gallego, or Galician-style octopus, is a popular tapa (appetizer) served all over Spain today. It originated in the northwestern Spanish region of Galicia where octopus (pulpo in Spanish) is a specialty and a common catch for local fishermen.
Put the octopus in the water, submerge it completely and cover it. Put salt, pepper, and paprika (optional) in the water with the octopus. If it weighs 2kg, cook it for 45 minutes, if it is smaller, 25 minutes is enough. You'll know it's ready when it's tender (you can poke it with a fork or knife).
Dip tentacles into the boiling water 3 times, holding them in the boiling water 2 to 3 seconds each time, until the tentacles curl up. Submerge entire octopus in the boiling water. Bring water back to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until octopus is fork-tender, 45 to 60 minutes.
Freeze the octopus (or squid) solid for at least a week. This will wreck a lot of the proteins that make their muscles so chewy. Thaw it out completely, and then simmer the octopus in water, stock or broth on low for 45 min-1 hr, until you can pierce the thickest par t of the arm easily with a toothpick.
Octopus contains a lot of moisture, some of which can be removed by brining or sun-drying to make the flesh more tender before grilling, barbecuing or pan-frying. Without removing some of the moisture from the flesh, the octopus will take on a chewy and rubbery texture.
In most cases, octopus needs to be cooked until tender no matter what the final cooking method will be. Even if you ultimately plan to sear or grill the octopus, you first need to cook it to tenderize it sufficiently.
Dip the Octopus into the water 3 times to help tenderize it (you will see the tentacles start curling). Then submerge it and boil it for about 20-30min per pound.
Cook until octopus is tender enough that you can pierce the thick part of a tentacle with a paring knife with little resistance, about 1 hour; keep in mind that this time is a rough estimate, and the octopus may be done sooner or it may take longer, but it will get there. Let octopus cool in the cooking water.
With enough heat and time that collagen breaks down into silky and tender gelatin, and the octopus grows tender with it. It's really no different than stewing gristly chunks of beef in a stew; eventually they become soft and tender.
The small to medium size best for sauté or stir fry. Overcooking an octopus can make the meat too tough to be edible. To keep the octopus tender, it is recommended that the octopus be turned frequently every 15 minutes. This ensures a better taste and keeps the octopus from becoming too rubbery.
The internal temperature of cooked octopus should measure between 150f (65c) and 160f (71c) when ready to be removed from grill. Don't under cook it! The connective tissue won't start breaking down until 130f (54c).
Introduction: My name is Edwin Metz, I am a fair, energetic, helpful, brave, outstanding, nice, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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