Don’t let this leggy sea creature frighten you. Preparing octopus is simple and much of the work can be done in advance. For a more detailed tutorial, see this post.
In the time of social distancing, I’ve had to dig deep into my freezer/pantry for inspo. I had a jar of sweet chili sauce and I always keep miso on hand.
Miso is a wonderful soup base (obviously) but I often use it in marinades and Miso butter (mix 2 Tbsp miso with 1/4 butter) too!
Sweet Chili Miso Glazed Octopus
Octopus
- 2 octopus, 1.5-2 lbs each
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 head garlic, smashed
- 2 shallots, chopped or 1 onion, chopped
- 6 peppercorns
- A few sprigs thyme
- 1 dried chili, optional
Fill a large pot of water and add all the above except for the octopus. Bring to a boil and drop in the octopus. Watch the legs curl immediately!
Simmer for 60-90 minutes or until fork tender.
Fish out the octopus, remove the head and beak (that’s the round bit between the legs) and separate the legs.
Sweet Chili Miso Glaze
- 4 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
- 1 Tbsp Miso
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp salt
- Pepper to taste
Mix all the ingredients together and set aside.
Farro
- 2/3 cup farro
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, chopped
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the farro and cook for 15 minutes. Test to see if the farro is done. Once cooked through, drain and spread the farro onto a baking sheet to cool. This is an important step as it will stop the process of cooking.
Once cool, toss the farro with the rest of the ingredients. Arrange the farro onto a serving platter.
Toss the octopus with the glaze. Heat a grill or BBQ and sear the octopus legs until a good char has formed. Arrange the legs onto the farro and top with fennel fronds or more parsley.
