There are some foods out there most people would turn away from: tongues, anything testicle-related, and anything with slimy tentacles that sometimes move after the animal is dead. Yet, octopus is a lovely dish that more people should know how to cook.
Before you scoff and claim you’re oh-so-familiar with the tentacled creature, I’m not just talking calamari. So, here are ten octopus dishes you should give your effort. Become the diverse chef you were meant to be.
Grilled Octopus
This is perhaps the most common execution of octopus cooking. You can grab this basic recipe, but why stop there? Get fancy with olive oil or maybe ladolemono (olive oil + lemon). Still easing you way into seafood? Mimic your basic steak-and-potatoes meal with this recipe.
Stew
A common way of consuming any seafood is in stew form–basically, just throw all that stuff in a pot and boom! You’re a master chef.
Need a little more direction? Yeah, okay…
Here’s a recipe for a wonderful octopus stew, but you can step up your cultural game with polpo alla luciana–an Italian classic. Hang a poster of Rome in the background for effect. And speaking of expanding your cultural knowledge base…
From around the World
Despite the average aversion to octopus in America, the dish is widely served across the globe. It’s a tradition in Greek cuisine, but can be found in Ecuador, as with this ceviche de pulpo, or in Korea, in the form of Nakji Bokkeum. Japan even offers a street-food version with Takoyaki–octopus dumplings.
Still not Convinced?
I get it–octopus might seem like a daunting dish to undertake, but its existence across cultures stands to testify the taste of this eight-legged critter. Moreover, each serving contains 30g of protein, and is high in iron, B vitamins, and niacin. So if you’re looking for a new dinner idea, be adventurous and try one of these recipes!