Sunday, May 15, 2011

Marinated and Grilled Baby Octopus


This may not be every one's cup of tea but I love marinated octopus as part of a Greek appetizer (mezze) platter.  I was able to find a 2 pound package of these baby octopi at my local Italian market.  These were really small - about 15 to the pound and already cleaned, so no muss. They pair well with feta and kalamatas ( and a shot of Ouzo or glass of Roditis! ).

For the marinade:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbl dried oregano
1 Tbl salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Combine all ingredients and set aside.

For the octopus:
2 pounds baby octopus (about 30 ), thawed if frozen
Juice of one or two lemons, depending on your taste for citrus
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano

Combine the marinade and octopus and marinate for 2 to 3 hours in the fridge.
Grill the octopus on high heat on a gas grill in a grill pan for 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Let cool in a bowl and then drain in a colander ( they exude a little juice after cooking)
Cut them up into bite size pieces and the dress them with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano.  Chill for at least and hour before serving.

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