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OCTAPOTHI- Greek Grilled Octopus Recipe

Ingredients

How to make it

  • Beat the octopus with a meat hammer or against the concrete (as they do in Greece) to soften it up.
  • This may take 15 minutes or more.
  • Cut and clean the octopus into pieces about twice the size of a serving because the meat will shrink when cooked.
  • Combine the vinegar, a 1/4 cup of olive oil, the garlic, some oregano, salt and pepper.
  • Place marinade in large ziploc bag and add octopus.
  • Marinate overnight for best results but 3 hrs in the fridge will do.
  • To cook, warm the BBQ to low-medium heat and lay the meat on the grill.
  • Baste with a mixture of the remaining olive oil, the juice from the lemons, and the oregano, being careful not to cause a flame to erupt in the BBQ.
  • When the octopus is done (about 15 minutes), plate, and pour the remaining marinade over the removed octopus and serve.

Reviews & Comments 14

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  • emilylainas 11 years ago
    There are hundreds of different recipes based on octopus with various flavors. I've found a website listing many traditional Greek recipes and it's the one here http://nostimada.gr/ingredient/%CF%87%CF%84%CE%B1%CF%80%CF%8C%CE%B4%CE%B9/ Don't forget to translate cause It's all Greek to me!
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  • carmenperez 15 years ago
    oh lord i must be tired its 2 am i ment to say corks from a bottle of wine NOT cork skrews L O L
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  • carmenperez 15 years ago
    Oh girl been wanting an octapie rec for the longest a greek one is a plus beeing half greek my self but did you know putting 2 cork screws in the water with it it while boiling it makes it tender ?true true try it hugzzzzzzzz Carmen
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  • despinap 16 years ago
    Opa indeed! Even in Greece lately this is a luxury as octopus and fish have become so expensive. My parents boil it to death in a pressure cooker so there is no worries about it turning into a shoe and then they cut it up and marinate/refrigerate it. I'll ask them for the recipe and I'll post.
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  • barbiemensher 16 years ago
    I am ALL OVER this recipe but I have a question: you say you beat it to loosen the ink sac. So when I buy it, the sac, eye and beak should still be intact? And won't the ink sac break with all of that pounding? Most recipes I've found call for boiling it first but nobody is sure for how long - too long and it toughens and looses all it's flavour, too short and it will be a chewy mess. Beat on the thing... now THAT I can do but I just want to be clear before I start pounding if I'm supposed to remove stuff. I'd hate for the ink to explode all over and ruin what around here is a very expensive piece of seafood. No rush, btw. I'm in Quebec - won't be firing up the grill any time soon! Thank you for posting this. I'm off to peruse the rest of your dishes.
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  • kimichka25 16 years ago
    THESE ARE THE BEST!!!! Gotta beat it (I prefer a rock) 100 times!
    Sooooo good with the oil and vinegar!
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    " It was excellent "
    sagami ate it and said...
    Hi, thanks for stopping by my white chocolate recipe!
    Then I just clicked your recipe page and found the Octopus!!!
    That was so interesting, and I did not know beat to soften it up!
    We Japanese eat Octopus as well but I don't think Japanese does it. Thanks for this recipe! Give 5 forks!
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    " It was excellent "
    ragnarokx23 ate it and said...
    oo now you have me craving octopus. This recipe attracted my attention just like that. I have to try this one day. Thankss for sharing!
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  • mrjwjohnson 16 years ago
    God I love Octopus, it always makes me think of Tarpon Springs, FL
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  • greekgirrrl 16 years ago
    Hey, kakedog! The beating of the octopus is primarily done to loosen the muscle that holds the black ink in its sac. Pounding the critter does just that and also somewhat tenderizes it. So to answer your question, no, i don't take the skin from the octopus. Helene
    BTW- Thanks for stopping by my recipe!
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  • kakedog 16 years ago
    do you peel it before you marinade it? it seems as though you wouldn't have to beat it as much with out the skin. sounds delicious though
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    " It was excellent "
    danadooley ate it and said...
    I love octopus and this is an awesome recipe. But do you pour the remaining marinade over the grilled octopus as it is or do you cook it first?
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  • peterm 17 years ago
    I wish I liked octopus as a kid...I would eaten so much when it was cheap...bravo koritsi mou!
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    " It was excellent "
    wolfpackjack ate it and said...
    Love the octopus... No ouzo... thanks for the post
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greekgirrrl Long Island, NY

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