This crispy braised octopus is perfect for summer eating and is absolutely delicious.
Simple to do, the octopus is simmered until tender then fried or griddled over a high heat to get a crispy outside.
If you like calamari, you will love this crispy braised octopus!
Bon appétit.
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❤️ Why you will love this dish
- Really easy to make.
- Braise in advance and crisp up later.
- Great base for lots of dishes.
- Holiday food you can make at home!
My husband loves octopus and we often order it in a restaurant when we've been in Spain, Greece or France as it's something we don't often have at home.
From our home in France it was only two hours to drive to St Jean de Luz, a pretty coastal town in the Basque region. As expected, the food was a fusion of French and Spanish with plenty of fish and mussels in a creamy Chorizo sauce. It was easy to cross into Spain and visit St Sebastian, where the tapas restaurants are amazing and octopus is widely used.
This is a simple recipe, that will help you confidently tackle octopus tentacles, that can form the basis for different dishes so that you can impress your guests or just enjoy at home.
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🥘 Ingredients
- Octopus - luckily Lidl sell fully prepared octopus in the frozen section, although I have also bought it online.
The printable recipe card with full ingredient quantities and instructions can be found at the bottom of the article.
🍽 Equipment
- Large saucepan with lid
- Colander
- Kitchen paper
- Frying pan or griddle
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
🔪 Instructions
Ensure the octopus is thoroughly defrosted if frozen.
Cut the tentacles so that each one is separate.
Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the salt and tentacles to the pan. This helps the tentables to curl up.
Add the lid and simmer for about 40 minutes or until tender. I use a skewer or carving fork to check when they are ready.
Don't be alarmed by the poaching liquid turning dark red.
Drain in a colander or sieve.
Use the kitchen paper to gently wipe the red parts of the skin to remove it.
You don't have to do this, but removing the jelly like skin will help the octopus to get crispy.
Mix the salt and pepper with the cornflour on a plate and dredge the tentacles.
⏲️ Frying Time
Heat the oil in a pan or griddle over a medium to high heat and add the octopus.
Sear for a couple of minutes on each side until crispy.
Serve with extra seasoning and squeeze of fresh lemon.
🥗 Side Dishes
If you are serving this as a starter it would be lovely with some crusty bread. If it's a main course try some of these ideas.
- Pommes Persillade
- Petits Pois à La Française
- Boursin Mashed Potatoes
- Celeriac Purée
- Green Beans Almondine
- Fondant Potatoes
- Roasted Courgettes Provençale
- Parmentier Potatoes
- Chateau Potatoes
- Potatoes Sarladaise
- Parisienne Potatoes
- Potatoes Pavé
📖 Variations
- Warm octopus salad - braise the octopus then cut into bite sized pieces then combine with chopped cucumber, tomatoes, olives. Stir through vinaigrette.
- Braised octopus with Mediterranean vegetables - braise the octopus and cut into pieces. Cut potato, courgette and aubergine into small cubes and chop onion. Fry the vegetables until golden and tender then add the octopus. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.
🍣 Storage
- Refrigerator - cool, cover and store cooked octopus for up to 3 days.
- Freezer - freeze for up to a month.
- To reheat - add a little oil to a pan and cook over a medium heat.
🍱 Prepare in Advance
- Braise the octopus a day or two in advance and then finish to your liking.
Let me know what you think in the comments or you can post a picture and tag me on Twitter @chezlereve, Instagram @chezlerevefrancais, or Facebook @chezlerevefrancais
More fish dishes
- Bourride de Lotte
- Fried Monkfish with Chorizo
- Mussels in White Wine
- Oysters
- Stuffed Calamari
- Lobster Mayonnaise
- Poor Man's Lobster with Thermidor Sauce
- Scallops with Black Pudding
- French Seafood Stew
- Baked Seafood Parcels
- Cod Mornay with Prawns
- Scallops with Chorizo
- Scallop Gratin
- La Mouclade
📋 Recipe
Crispy Braised Octopus
Equipment
- large saucepan with lid
- colander
- kitchen paper
- frying pan or griddle
- sharp knife
- chopping board
Ingredients
- 540 g octopus tentacles
- ½ teaspoon salt sea salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
For dredging
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper freshly ground black
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Ensure the octopus is thoroughly defrosted if frozen.
- Cut the tentacles so that each one is separate.
- Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the salt and tentacles to the pan.
- Add the lid and simmer for about 40 minutes or until tender. (use a skewer or carving fork to check)
- Drain in a colander.
- Use the kitchen paper to gently wipe the red parts of the skin to remove it.
- Mix the salt and pepper with the cornflour on a plate and dredge the tentacles.
- Heat the oil in a pan or griddle over a medium to high heat and add the octopus.
- Sear for a couple of minutes on each side until crispy.
- Serve with extra seasoning and squeeze of fresh lemon.
Notes
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Detailed instructions for this recipe, including step by step photographs, hints and tips, can be found in the main article.
Seafood
- La Mouclade Charantaise17 Minutes
- Scallop Gratin (Coquilles Saint-Jacques)10 Minutes
- Bourride de Lotte50 Minutes
- Caviar Canapés7 Minutes
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using gas.
Do you have a question or did you make the recipe? Please leave a rating as it helps other readers to discover this dish. Your name and email are required to avoid spam comments; they are never used for any purpose or shared with third parties.
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Amanda
Tender on the inside and crispy on the outside!